Latest ACA Resources
(June 2014)
(November 2012)
Press Contacts: Kelsey Davenport, Research Analyst, (202) 463-8270 x102
Updated: July 2014
The following chart lists 31 countries, including the United States and its allies, which currently possess ballistic missiles. For each country, the chart details the type of missile, its operational status, and the best-known public estimates of each missile’s range and payload. The source of the missiles—whether domestically produced, imported, or some combination of the two methods (derived or replicated from foreign technology with or without the original exporter’s consent)—is also provided.
Only nine (China, France, India, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) of the 31 states below are known or suspected of possessing nuclear weapons. These nine states and Iran have produced or flight-tested missiles with ranges exceeding 1,000 kilometers. China and Russia are the only two states that are not U.S. allies that have a proven capability to launch ballistic missiles from their territories that can strike the continental United States.
Ballistic Missile Basics
Ballistic missiles are powered by rockets initially but then they follow an unpowered, free-falling trajectory toward their targets. They are classified by the maximum distance that they can travel, which is a function of how powerful the missile’s engines (rockets) are and the weight of the missile’s payload. To add more distance to a missile’s range, rockets are stacked on top of each other in a configuration referred to as staging. There are four general classifications of ballistic missiles:
Short-range ballistic missiles, traveling less than 1,000 kilometers (approximately 620 miles);
Medium-range ballistic missiles, traveling between 1,000–3,000 kilometers (approximately 620-1,860 miles);
Intermediate-range ballistic missiles, traveling between 3,000–5,500 kilometers (approximately 1,860-3,410 miles); and
Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), traveling more than 5,500 kilometers.
Short- and medium-range ballistic missiles are referred to as theater ballistic missiles, whereas ICBMs or long-range ballistic missiles are described as strategic ballistic missiles. Missiles are often classified by fuel-type: liquid or solid propellants. Missiles with solid fuel require less maintenance and preparation time than missiles with liquid fuel because solid-propellants have the fuel and oxidizer together, whereas liquid-fueled missiles must keep the two separated until right before deployment.
Country | System[1] | Status | Range[2] | Propellant |
Afghanistan
|
Frog-7
|
Operational
|
70 km
|
Solid
|
Scud-B
|
Unknown[3]
|
300 km
|
Liquid
| |
Armenia
|
Frog-7
|
Operational
|
70 km
|
Solid
|
Scud-B[4]
|
Operational
|
300 km
|
Liquid
| |
Bahrain
|
ATACMS (MGM-140)
|
Operational
|
Up to 300 km
|
Solid
|
Belarus
|
Frog-7
|
Operational
|
70 km
|
Solid
|
SS-21
|
Operational
|
120 km
|
Solid
| |
Scud-B
|
Operational
|
300 km
|
Liquid
| |
China
|
B611 (CSS-X-11)
|
Operational
|
250 km
|
Solid
|
M-7 (CSS-8)
|
Operational
|
150-230 km
| Liquid | |
DF-3A (CSS-2)
|
Retiring
|
3,100 km
|
Liquid
| |
DF-4 (CSS-3)
|
Operational
|
5,500 km
| Liquid | |
DF-5 (CSS-4, Mod 1)
|
Operational
|
12,000 km
| Liquid | |
DF-5A (CSS-4, Mod 2)
|
Operational
|
13,000 km
| Liquid | |
DF-11 (CSS-7)
|
Operational
|
300 km
| Solid | |
DF-11A (CSS-7)
|
Operational
|
600 km
|
Solid
| |
DF-15 (CSS-6)
|
Operational
|
600 km
| Solid | |
DF-15? (CSS-6 Mod 2)
|
Operational
|
880+ km
|
Solid
| |
DF-15? (CSS-6 Mod 3)
|
Operational
|
720+ km
|
Solid
| |
DF-21 (CSS-5, Mod 1)
|
Operational
|
2,100 km
| Solid | |
DF-21A (CSS-5, Mod 2)
|
Operational
|
1,770+ km
| Solid | |
DF-21C (CSS-5 Mod 3)
|
Operational
|
2,150-2,500 km
| Solid | |
DF-21D ASBMvariant
|
Development[5]
|
1,500 km
| Solid | |
DF-31 (CSS-10 Mod 1)
|
Operational
|
7,200+ km
| Solid | |
DF-31A (CSS-10 Mod 2)
|
Operational
|
11,200+ km
|
Solid
| |
Julang (JL) 1 (SLBM)
|
Operational
|
1,700+ km
| Solid | |
Julang (JL) 2 (SLBM)
|
Tested/Development
|
7400+ km
|
Solid
| |
Egypt
|
Scud-B
|
Operational
|
300 km
|
Liquid
|
Project-T (Scud B)
|
Operational
|
450 km
|
Liquid
| |
Scud-C
|
Operational
|
550 km
|
Liquid
| |
| Frog-7 |
Operational
|
70 km
|
Solid
| |
Sakr-80
|
Operational
|
80+ km
|
Solid
| |
France
|
M4A/B (SLBM)
|
Operational
|
6,000 km
| Solid |
M51.1 (SLBM)
|
Operational
|
6,000 km
| Solid | |
M51.2 (SLBM)
|
Development
|
6,000 km
| Solid | |
Georgia
|
Scud B
|
Operational
|
300 km
|
Liquid
|
Greece
|
ATACMS (MGM-140)
|
Operational
|
165 km
|
Solid
|
India[6]
|
Prithvi-1
|
Operational
|
150 km
|
Liquid
|
Prithvi-2
|
Operational
|
250 km
|
Liquid
| |
Prithvi-3
|
Development
|
350 km
|
Solid
| |
Dhanush
|
Testing
|
350 km
|
Liquid
| |
Sagarika/K-15 (SLBM)
|
Testing
|
700 km
|
Solid
| |
Agni-I
|
Operational
|
700 km
|
Solid
| |
Agni-II
|
Operational
|
2,000 km
|
Solid
| |
Agni-III
|
Testing
|
3,000 km
|
Solid
| |
Agni-IV
|
Tested
|
4,000 km
|
Solid
| |
Agni-V
|
Testing
|
5,000+ km
|
Solid
| |
Agni-VI
|
Development
|
8,000-10,000 km
|
Solid
| |
K-4
|
Testing
|
3,000 km
|
Solid
| |
K-5 (SLBM)
|
Rumored Development
|
5,000 km
|
Solid
| |
Iran[7]
|
Mushak-120
|
Operational
|
130 km
|
Solid
|
Mushak-160
|
Operational
|
160 km
|
Solid
| |
Qiam-1
|
Testing
|
500-1,000 km
|
Liquid
| |
Fateh-110
|
Operational
|
200 km
|
Solid
| |
Tondar-69 (CSS-8)
|
Operational
|
150 km
|
Solid
| |
Scud-B (Shahab 1)
|
Operational
|
300 km
|
Liquid
| |
Scud-C (Shahab 2)
|
Operational
|
550 km
|
Liquid
| |
Shahab-3 (Zelzal-3)
|
Operational
|
800-1,000 km
|
Liquid
| |
Ghadr 1/Modified Shahab-3/Kadr Ghadr 110
|
Tested/Development
|
1,000-2,000 km
|
Liquid
| |
Ashura/Sejjil/Sejjil-2
|
Tested/Development
|
2,000-2,500 km
|
Solid
| |
BM-25/Musudan (Suspected)
|
Unclear
|
2,500+ km
|
Liquid
| |
Iraq[8]
|
Al Fat’h (Ababil-100)
|
Operational
|
160 km
|
Solid
|
Al Samoud II
|
Operational
|
180-200 km
|
Liquid
| |
Israel
|
Lance
|
Operational
|
130 km
|
Liquid
|
Jericho-1
|
Operational
|
500 km
|
Solid
| |
Jericho-2
|
Operational
|
1,500-1,800 km
|
Solid
| |
Jericho-3
|
Tested/Status Unknown
|
4,000+ km
|
Solid/Liquid
| |
Kazakhstan
|
Frog-7
|
Operational
|
70 km
|
Solid
|
Tochka-U (SS-21)
|
Operational
|
120 km
|
Solid
| |
Scud-B
|
Operational
|
300 km
|
Liquid
| |
Libya[9]
|
Frog-7
|
Operational
|
70 km
|
Solid
|
Al Fatah (Itislat)
|
Tested/Development
|
200 km
|
Liquid
| |
Scud-B
|
Operational
|
300 km
|
Liquid
| |
North Korea
|
KN-02 (Toksa/SS-21variant)
|
Tested/Development
|
100 km
|
Solid
|
Scud-Bvariant/Hwasong 5
|
Operational
|
320 km
|
Liquid
| |
Scud-Cvariant/Hwasong 6
|
Operational
|
500 km
|
Liquid
| |
Scud-D/Hwasong 7
|
Operational
|
700 km
|
Liquid
| |
No-Dong-1(A)
|
Operational
|
1,300 km
|
Liquid
| |
Frog-7
|
Operational
|
70 km
|
Solid
| |
Taepo Dong-1[10]
|
Tested
|
1,600+ km
|
Liquid
| |
Taepo Dong-2 (2-stage) [11]
|
Tested/Development
|
5,500+ km
|
Liquid
| |
Taepo Dong-2 (3-stage)/Unha-2 SLV
|
Tested/Development
|
15,000 km
|
Liquid
| |
No-Dong-2(B)/ Musudan/BM-25 [12]
|
Tested/Development
|
2,500+ km
| Liquid | |
Pakistan
|
Hatf-1
|
Operational
|
80-100 km
|
Solid
|
Hatf-2 (Abdali)
|
Tested/Development
|
190 km
|
Solid
| |
Hatf-3 (Ghaznavi)
|
Operational
|
300 km
|
Solid
| |
Shaheen-1 (Hatf-4)
|
Operational
|
750 km
|
Solid
| |
Ghauri-1 (Hatf-5)
|
Operational
|
1,300 km
|
Liquid
| |
Ghauri-2 (Hatf-5a)
|
Tested/Development
|
2,300 km
|
Liquid
| |
Shaheen-2 (Hatf-6)
|
Tested/Development
|
2,500 km
|
Solid
| |
Ghauri-3
|
Development
|
3,000 km
|
Liquid
| |
Romania
|
Scud-B
|
Operational
|
300 km
|
Liquid
|
Russia
|
Scud-B (SS-1c Mod 1)
|
Operational
|
300 km
|
Liquid
|
Scud-B (SS-1c Mod 2)
|
Operational
|
240 km
|
Liquid
| |
RS-20V (SS-18 Satan)
|
Operational
|
11,000-15,000 km
|
Liquid
| |
RS-18 (SS-19 Stiletto)
|
Operational
|
10,000 km
|
Liquid
| |
SS-21
|
Operational
|
120 km
|
Solid
| |
SS-21 Mod 2
|
Operational
|
120 km
|
Solid
| |
SS-21 Mod 3
|
Operational
|
70 km
|
Solid
| |
SS-24
|
Operational
|
10,000 km
|
Solid
| |
RS-12M Topol (SS-25 Sickle)
|
Operational
|
10,500 km
|
Solid
| |
RS-12M1 Topol-M (SS-27) [13]
|
Operational
|
10,500 km
|
Solid
| |
RS-12M2 Topol-M (SS-27 Mod-X-2) (silo)
|
Operational
|
11,000 km
|
Solid
| |
RS-24 Yars (mobile and silo versions) (SS-27 Mod 2)
|
Operational
|
10,500 km
|
Solid
| |
RS-26 Rubezh
|
Operational
|
5,800 km
|
Solid
| |
SS-26 Iskander
|
Operational
|
400 km
|
Solid
| |
SS-N-8 (SLBM)
|
Operational
|
8,000 km
|
Liquid
| |
RSM-50 Volna (SS-N-18) (SLBM)
|
Operational
|
6,500-8,000 km
|
Liquid
| |
SS-N-20 (SLBM)
|
Retiring
|
8,300 km
|
Solid
| |
RSM-54 Sineva (SS-N-23) (SLBM)
|
Operational
|
8,000 km
|
Liquid
| |
RSM-56 (Bulava-30) (SLBM)
|
Operational
|
8,050+ km
|
Solid
| |
SS-26 Stone (Iskander-E)
|
Operational
|
280 km
|
Solid
| |
Frog-7
|
Operational
|
70 km
|
Solid
| |
Saudi Arabia
|
DF-3 (CSS-2)
|
Operational
|
2,600 km
|
Liquid
|
DF-21 East Wind (CSS-5)
|
Operational
|
2,100+ km
|
Solid
| |
Slovakia
|
SS-21
|
Operational
|
120 km
|
Solid
|
South Korea
|
NHK-1
|
Operational
|
180 km
|
Solid
|
NHK-2
|
Operational
|
260-300 km
|
Solid
| |
ATACMS Block 1/A
|
Operational
|
300 km
|
Solid
| |
Syria
|
SS-21
|
Operational
|
120 km
|
Solid
|
Scud-B
|
Operational
|
300 km
| Liquid | |
Scud-C
|
Operational
|
500 km
|
Liquid
| |
Scud-D
|
Tested/Development
|
700 km
|
Liquid
| |
Frog-7
|
Operational
|
70 km
|
Solid
| |
Taiwan
|
Ching Feng
|
Operational
|
130 km
|
Liquid
|
Tien Chi
|
Operational
|
300 km
|
Solid
| |
Turkey
|
ATACMS (MGM-140)
|
Operational
|
165 km
|
Solid
|
Project J
|
Development
|
150 km
|
Solid
| |
Turkmenistan
|
Scud-B
|
Operational
|
300 km
|
Liquid
|
United Arab Emirates
|
Scud-B
|
Operational
|
300 km
|
Liquid
|
United Kingdom
|
D-5 Trident II (SLBM)
|
Operational
|
7,400+ km
|
Solid
|
United States
|
ATACMS Block I
|
Operational
|
165 km
|
Solid
|
ATACMS Block IA
|
Operational
|
300 km
|
Solid
| |
ATACMS Block II
|
Operational
|
140 km
|
Solid
| |
Minuteman III (LGM-30G)
|
Operational
|
9,650-13,000 km
|
Solid
| |
D-5 Trident II (SLBM)
|
Operational
|
7,400+ km
|
Solid
| |
Vietnam
|
Scud-B
|
Operational
|
300 km
|
Liquid
|
Yemen[14]
|
Scud-B
|
Operational
|
300 km
|
Liquid
|
SS-21 (Scarab)
|
Operational
|
120 km
|
Solid
| |
Scud variant
|
Operational
|
300-500 km
|
Liquid
| |
Frog-7
|
Operational
|
70 km
|
Solid
|
ENDNOTES:
1. All missiles are surface-to-surface unless otherwise noted. SLBM is an acronym for a submarine-launched ballistic missile and ASBM is an acronym for an anti-ship ballistic missile.
2. The ranges, given in kilometers (km) are estimates based on publicly available sources. These figures, however, do not all necessarily reflect the missile’s maximum range, which may vary with its payload. Equipping a missile with a lighter payload would increase its range. Similarly, a heavier payload would diminish a missile’s range.
3. A January 15, 2001 report by the UN Monitoring Group on Afghanistan concluded that, prior to the October 2001 U.S.-led offensive in Afghanistan, there were approximately 100 Scud-B missiles and at least four Scud mobile launchers in Afghanistan. The current distribution and operational capability of the missiles are unknown, although the UN Monitoring Group speculated that up to 30 of the missiles might be under control of the Northern Alliance.
4. According to a 1997 report by Lev Rokhlin, then-Chairman of the Russian State Duma’s Committee on Defense, Russia transferred eight Scud-B ballistic missiles and 24 Scud launchers, along with other military hardware, to Armenia between 1993-1996. Responding to publication of the report in the Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta and to formal requests by the Azerbaijan government, then-Russian President Boris Yeltsin ordered an investigation into the claims. They were subsequently confirmed in April 1997 by Aman Tuleyev, then-Russian minister for relations with the Commonwealth of Independent States.
5. According to the Department of Defense’s 2009 report on China’s military power, Beijing is investing in conventionally-armed ASBMs based on the CSS-5 airframe which could employ “terminal-sensitive penetrating sub-munitions” in order to hold surface ships at risk.
6. India and Pakistan claim that their missiles are not deployed, meaning that the missiles are not on launchers, aimed at particular locations, or kept on a high state of alert. The missiles are in a state of “induction” with the nuclear warheads stored in facilities separate from the missile units and airfields. Pakistan and India, however, have deployed their missiles on a number of occasions, such as the Kargil crisis in July 1999.
7. In addition to the ballistic missiles listed here, Iran has been developing a 2-stage space launch vehicle called the Safir. After an initial unsuccessful launch of the Safir-1 rocket August 17, 2008, Iran successfully launched the Safir-2 February 2, 2009 and placed a small satellite in orbit. A 2009 report by the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) assessed that the Safir “can serve as a test bed for long-range ballistic missile technologies” and could serve as an IRBM if converted to a ballistic missile.
8. Because of lack of current documentary evidence and inconsistencies in source reporting, the status of Iraq’s ballistic missile arsenal is unclear. The United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) determined in 2003 that the Al Samoud II and the Al Fat’h missiles exceeded the range permitted under UN Security Council Resolution 687. That resolution prohibited Iraq from possessing missiles with ranges exceeding 150 kilometers. UN inspectors began the destruction of these missiles on March 1, 2003, but the inspectors were withdrawn before all of the missiles had been eliminated. According to UNMOVIC’s 13th Quarterly Report, only two-thirds of the Al Samoud II missiles declared by Iraq had been destroyed. The 2004 Iraq Survey Group Report by the United States asserted that a “full accounting of the Al Fat’h missiles may not be possible.”
9. According to a CIA Report, Libya privately pledged to the United States in 2003 that it would eliminate all missiles classified as Category I systems by the MTCR. Category I pertains to missiles capable of traveling 300 kilometers or more with a payload of at least 500 kilograms, the presumed minimum weight for a first-generation nuclear warhead. Libya, however, still maintains a missile development program for systems that fall below the Category I threshold capability.
10. The Taepo Dong-1 was first flight-tested August 31, 1998. Its first two stages worked but a third stage failed. The missile has not been flight-tested again and is widely believed to have been a technology demonstrator rather than a missile system intended for deployment.
11. North Korea has carried out two flight tests of what is believed to be its Taepo Dong-2 missile. The test of a two-stage version failed about 40 seconds into its flight on July 5, 2006. The missile is assessed to have used a cluster of No Dong missiles for its first stage and a Scud or No Dong-based second stage. On April 5, 2009, North Korea launched what it called its Unha-2 space launch vehicle, widely believed to be a three-stage variant of its Taepo Dong-2. The first two stages of the rocket were successful and fell in the splashdown zones previously announced by North Korea. U.S. Northern Command said the day of the launch that the third stage and its payload both landed in the Pacific Ocean. Independent analysts assess that the second stage of the Taepo Dong-2 is based on a variant of the Soviet SS-N-6 (See endnote #14).
12. Although North Korea has never flight-tested the intermediate-range Musudan, a variant of the SS-N-6, Washington alleges that Pyongyang has deployed the missile. The SS-N-6 originally was a Soviet submarine-launched ballistic missile, but North Korea is reportedly deploying it as a road-mobile missile. There also is speculation that North Korea has transferred this missile to Iran.
13. The SS-27 (Topol-M/RS-12M) is deployed in both road-mobile and silo-based configurations.
14. On December 9, 2002, Spanish forces intercepted a North Korean cargo ship bearing 15 Scud missiles to Yemen. The United States intervened to permit the transfer to be completed because Yemen is considered an important ally in the U.S.-led “War on Terror.” Yemen pledged to cease further arms purchases from North Korea.
Sources: Arms Control Association; Missile Defense Agency; U.S. Department of Defense; Congressional Research Service; National Air and Space Intelligence Center; U.S. Department of State; Federation of American Scientists
-Updated by Brianna Starosciak
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