Nuclear Future: Rethinking the Nuclear Forces in the Days to Come

... use a specially designed lightweight single-warhead ICBM with a launch weight of only 13.6 tonnes (for comparison, Minuteman-III weighs 36 tonnes while the weight of Yars is about 46 tonnes ). With corresponding throw-weight sacrifices, the small ICBM could be fitted onto a relatively compact Hard Mobile Launcher (HML) that, due to its geometry and robust construction, was good at surviving the effects of nuclear weapons. For additional protection, shortly before an expected attack, the HML truck could lower its body onto the ground, partially ploughing itself into the soil. Although this would be a far cry from the security of an underground silo, the ...