| − | An '''intercontinental ballistic missile''', or '''ICBM''', is a type of extremely long-range suborbital missile, designed as a delivery method for nuclear warheads. Within 20 years of the invention of nuclear weapons, ICBMs became the primary method of delivery for the militaries of the [[United States]] and the [[Soviet Union]]. Most ICBMs are [[multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle]]s (MIRVs), allowing one missile to carry multiple warheads, each of which can be designated to a separate target. | + | An '''intercontinental ballistic missile''', or '''ICBM''', is a type of extremely long-range suborbital missile, designed as a delivery method for nuclear warheads. Within 20 years of the invention of nuclear weapons, ICBMs became the primary method of delivery for the militaries of the [[United States]] and the [[Soviet Union]]. Most ICBMs are [[multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle]]s (MIRVs), which allow one missile to carry multiple warheads, each of which can be designated to a separate target. |