Comparison of anti-ballistic missile systems explained

This is a table of the most widespread or notable anti-ballistic missile (ABM) systems, intended in whole or part, to counter ballistic missiles. Since many systems have developed in stages or have many iterations or upgrades, only the most notable versions are described. Such systems are typically highly integrated with radar and guidance systems, so the emphasis is chiefly on system capability rather than the specific missile employed. For example, David's Sling is a system that employs the Stunner missile.

Legend for ABM system status in below table:

System name	Country of origin	Period of use	Intercept	width=6%"	Role	Weight	Warhead types	Range (max)	Ceiling (max)	Speed	Launcher	Cost/round (2024)
A-35M/A-350 (5V61R)^[1]		1978 - 1995	Exo-atmospheric	ICBM	32,700 kg	Nuclear 2-3 MT	320 - 350 km	120 km	Mach 4	Fixed launcher
A-135 ABM (51T6 Gorgon)		1995 - present	Exo-atmospheric	MRBM, ICBM^[2]	33,000 - 45,000 kg	Nuclear 10 KT	350 - 900 km		Mach 7	Silo
A-135 ABM (53T6 Gazelle)		1995 - present	Re-entry	MRBM, ICBM	10,000 kg	Nuclear 10 KT	80 - 100 km	80 - 100 km	Mach 17	Silo
A-235 Nudol^[3]		In development	Re-entry, terminal	ICBM, ASAT		Conventional	150 km	5–80 km (ASAT 700 km)		Mobile, silo
S-300 (V/SA-12B/9M82 Giant)^[4] ^[5]		1983–present	Terminal	MRBM, IRBM	5800 kg	Blast	40 km	30 km	Mach 5+	Mobile	$1,000,000 (48N6)^[6]
S-400 (48N6DM Triumf, 40N6, 9M96E/E2)^[7] ^[8] ^[9] ^[10]		2007 - present	Terminal	SRBM, IRBM	1800–1900 kg	Blast	80 - 250 km (48N6DM) 400 km (40N6), 120 km (9M96E/E2)	30 km	Mach 14	Mobile
S-500^[11] ^[12]		2021 - present		IRBM, MRBM, ICBM, ASAT			600 km	200 km		Mobile
HQ-9/HQ-19^[13] ^[14]		2018 - present^[15]	Terminal	SRBM, MRBM, IRBM	1300 kg		250 km	50 km		Mobile
Aster (30 1N, SAMP/T)^[16] ^[17]		2011–present	Terminal	SRBM, MRBM	450 kg	Blast	150 km	25 km	Mach 4.5	Ship silo, mobile	$2,000,000
Prithvi ADV Phase I^[18] ^[19]		Awaiting deployment?	Exo-atmospheric^[20]	MRBM, IRBM		Blast	300 - >1000 km	50 - 180 km		Mach 5
AAD/Ashwin Phase I		Awaiting deloyment?	Terminal	MRBM, IRBM	1200 kg	Kill vehicle	200 km	15 - 50 km
AD-1 Phase II^[21]		In development	Endo-exo-atmospheric	MRBM, IRBM	18,000 kg
AD-2 Phase II		In development	Terminal	IRBM
David's Sling/Stunner^[22] ^[23]		2018 - present^[24]	Terminal	SRBM, MRBM		Kill vehicle	250 km^[25]	15 km	Mach 7.5	Mobile
Arrow 2 (Block 4)^[26]		2012–present	Re-entry	MRBM, IRBM	2800 kg	Blast	90 km +	Exo-atmospheric^[27]	Mach 9	Mobile
Arrow 3^[28] ^[29]		2017 - present	Exo-atmospheric, ASAT	MRBM, IRBM	less than 1400 kg	Kill vehicle	2400 km	100 km	Mach 9+	Mobile	$62,000,000
KM-SAM (Block II)		(Block II with ABM capabilities)2017-present	Terminal	SRBM	400kg	Kill Vehicle	50 km	20 km	Mach 4.5+	Mobile
L-SAM (Block I)^[30]		In development	Exo-atmospheric	SRBM		Kill vehicle	150 km	40 - 60 km^[31]	Mach 5+	Mobile
Sky Bow III/Tien-Kung III^[32]		2014-present	Terminal	SRBM^[33]			40 km			Mobile
Strong Bow I^[34]		In development	Exo-atmospheric	SRBM				70 km^[35]		Mobile
Violet Friend/Bloodhound Mk. III		Canceled 1965	Terminal			Nuclear low KT^[36]	120 km^[37]	9 km+		Mobile
Patriot (PAC-3)^[38] ^[39]		2009 - present	Terminal	SRBM, MRBM	312 kg	Kill vehicle	40 km +	24 km +		Mobile	$3,729,769
THAAD^[40] ^[41] ^[42]		2008 - present	Re-entry	SRBM, MRBM, IRBM	900 kg^[43]	Kill vehicle	200 km +	150 km	Mach 8.2	Mobile
Aegis SM-6 ERAM^[44] ^[45]		2009–present	Terminal	MRBM, IRBM	1500 kg^[46]	Blast	240 - 370 km	33 km	Mach 3.5	Ship silo	$3,901,818
Aegis SM-3 (IIA)^[47] ^[48] ^[49] ^[50]		2014 - present	Boost (naval), mid-course	MRBM, IRBM, ICBM,^[51] ASAT	1500 kg^[52]	Kill vehicle	1500 km	160 km +	Mach 13.2 (IIA)	Ship and land silo	$27,915,625 (IIA), $9,698,617 (IB)
Nike Zeus (B)^[53]		Canceled 1963, ASAT role to 1964^[54]	Re-entry	ICBM, ASAT	10,300 kg	Nuclear 400 KT	400 km	280 km	Mach 4+	Silo
Safeguard/Spartan		1975 - 76^[55]	Exo atmospheric^[56]	ICBM	13,100 kg	Nuclear 5 MT	740 km	560 km	Mach 3–4	Silo
Safeguard/Sprint		1975 - 76	Terminal	ICBM	3,500 kg	Nuclear low KT	40 km	30 km	Mach 10+	Silo
Sentry/Overlay^[57]		1977 - 83 (study)	Exo-atmospheric	ICBM				Exo-atmospheric		Silo
Sentry/LoAD^[58] ^[59]		1977 - 83 (study)	Terminal	ICBM		Conventional or nuclear^[60]		15 km		Silo
Ground-Based Midcourse Defense/GBI^[61] ^[62]		2010 - present	Mid-course	ICBM	21,600 kg	Kill vehicle				Silo	$70,000,000
Next Generation Interceptor^[63]		In development	Mid-course	ICBM		Kill vehicle				Silo	$111,000,000

Notes

• System name: Many systems have numerous iterations or block upgrades, or have had multiple names. The primary or current system in use is described and noted, with the specific weapon iteration noted as appropriate.
• Period of use: ABM systems have protracted development periods. The time the system is or was in operational use is described.
• Intercept: Most systems can be used in different phases of ballistic missile flight, i.e., boost^[64] (where surface or air-launched anti-aircraft missiles might also be effective because the ballistic missile is moving relatively slowly at low altitude), requiring proximity to the launch site and immediate response, mid-course/exo-atmospheric,^[65] and re-entry/terminal.^[66] The principal intended phase of ballistic missile interception is noted. Other phases may be tried, with less effect. The earlier in flight that a missile is intercepted, the greater area a system may defend. Mid-course interception requires an ABM launch position between the ballistic missile launch site and the area defended. Terminal defense usually protects a relatively small area (i.e., Moscow, Minot Air Force Base missile fields) from projectiles in the re-entry phase.^[67]
• Role: Ballistic missile speed roughly corresponds to range. MRBMs move faster than SRBMs, IRBMs faster than MRBMs, and ICBMs faster than IRBMs.^{[68] [69]} Each iteration demands greater speed, range, and targeting capability (either in accuracy or warhead power).
• Weight: Weight roughly correlates to one or more of range/ceiling, speed/acceleration, or warhead size.
• Warhead type: Lacking precision guidance systems, early systems relied on nuclear blast to destroy ballistic missiles.^[70] Systems intended for dual-role anti-aircraft/anti-SRBM and MRBM systems typically use blast/fragmentation warheads. Newer systems intended for IRBMs and ICBMs with high-altitude interception typically use hit-to-kill kinetic intercept profiles.^[71]
• Range and ceiling: Maximum range does not necessarily coincide with maximum ceiling.
• Speed: Speed, along with ceiling, correlates to intercept capability, with ICBMs demanding the greatest speed and acceleration.^[72] The terminal defense role of the Sprint system demanded extraordinary acceleration over a very brief period to intercept ICBMs that leaked through higher-altitude defense systems, or which were revealed when decoys disappeared at lower altitudes.^[73] A high speed at low altitude (as with Sprint) is much more challenging that a high speed at high altitude.^[74]

The Israeli Iron Dome system is not specifically an anti-ballistic missile system, as it is intended primarily to counter unguided rockets and artillery projectiles, rather than guided missiles on trajectories that take them above Earth's atmosphere, re-entering at extreme velocities.^[75]

The U.S. Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) investigated a variety of missile defense strategies, many involving exotic technologies such as the X-ray lasers^[76] envisioned by Project Excalibur, or the Brilliant Pebbles kinetic-kill satellite system.^[77] None of the more exotic systems were pursued to prototyping.

Footnotes

1. O'Connor . Sean . Russian/Soviet Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems . Air Power Australia . 18 April 2024 . April 2012. 1 .
2. Very modest expectations: Performance of Moscow missile defense . Pavel . Podvig . 23 October 2012 . Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces . 10 June 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130526011744/http://russianforces.org/blog/2012/10/very_modest_expectations_sovie.shtml . 26 May 2013 . live.
3. News: Starchak . Maxim . Russia to upgrade Moscow's missile defenses by year's end . 18 April 2024 . Defense News . March 29, 2023.
4. Kopp . Carlo . NIEMI/Antey S-300V 9K81/9K81-1/9K81M/MK Self Propelled Air Defence System / SA-12/SA-23 Giant/Gladiator . Air Power Australia . 18 April 2024 . 2012. 1 .
5. Web site: S-300 . Missile Threat: CSIS Missile Defense Project . Center for Strategic and International Studies . 18 April 2024 . July 6, 2021.
6. Web site: Missile Interceptors by Cost . Missile Defense Advocacy Organization . February 2024.
7. NAS, pp. 38-39
8. Web site: Kopp . Carlo . Almaz-Antey 40R6 / S-400 Triumf Self Propelled Air Defence System / SA-21 . Air Power Australia . 17 April 2024 . 2012. 1 .
9. Web site: S-400 Triumf. Missile Threat: CSIS Missile Defense Project . Center for Strategic and International Studies . 18 April 2024 . July 6, 2021.
10. Book: Regional Ballistic Missile Defense in the Context of Strategic Stability . 2021 . National Academies of Science . 38 . 3 August 2024 . 3:Current Russian and U.S. Ballistic Missile Systems.
11. Web site: Kopp . Carlo . Almaz-Antey S-500 Triumfator M Self Propelled Air / Missile Defence System / SA-X-NN . Air Power Australia . 17 April 2024 . June 2011. 1 .
12. Web site: S-500 Prometheus. Missile Threat: CSIS Missile Defense Project . Center for Strategic and International Studies . 18 April 2024 . July 1, 2021.
13. Kopp . Carlo . CPMIEC HQ-9/HHQ-9/FD-2000/FT-2000 Self Propelled Air Defence System . Air Power Australia . 18 April 2024 . November 2009. 1 .
14. Web site: Garamone . Jim . Missile Defense Becomes Part of Great Power Competition . DOD News . U.S. Department of Defense . 18 April 2024 . July 28, 2020.
15. United States Office of the Secretary of Defense . Office of the Secretary of Defense . 2018 . Annual Report To Congress: Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2018.. 60 . 17 April 2024.
16. Web site: ASTER SAMP/T NG . MBDA . 18 April 2024.
17. Web site: Sol-Air Moyenne Portée/Terrestre (SAMP/T) . Missile Threat . Center for Strategic and International Studies . 18 April 2024 . July 15, 2021.
18. News: Kumar . Bhaswar . Iran-Israel clash: Does India have its own 'arrow' to down enemy missiles? . 20 April 2024 . Business Standard . April 19, 2024.
19. Wankhede . Rahul B. . Evolution of India's Ballistic Missile Defence Program: Prospects and Challenges . Journal of the United Service Institution of India . October–December 2023 . CLIII . 634 . 20 April 2024.
20. Web site: India . Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance . November 2022.
21. News: Maiden flight-test of Phase-II Ballistic Missile Defence interceptor successful . 20 April 2024 . Financial Express . November 2, 2022.
22. Web site: IMDO- Israel Missile Defense Organization . Israel Ministry of Defense . 18 April 2024.
23. Web site: David's Sling (Israel) . Missile Threat . Center for Strategic and International Studies . 18 April 2024 . July 13, 2021.
24. Web site: Israel . Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance . 18 April 2024 . January 2024.
25. Web site: Stunner Missile Interceptor System . Army Technology . 18 April 2024 . March 15, 2021.
26. Web site: Arrow 2 (Israel) . Missile Threat . Center for Strategic and International Studies . 18 April 2024 . July 23, 2021.
27. News: Giveh . Mohmmadreza . Israeli Arrow System Downs First Missiles in Combat . 18 April 2024 . Arms Control Association . December 2023.
28. News: Arrow 3 Air Defence Missile System, Israel . 18 April 2024 . Airforce Technology . September 16, 2022.
29. Web site: Arrow 3 (Israel) . Missile Threat . Center for Strategic and International Studies . 18 April 2024 . July 16, 2021.
30. News: Shukla . Partyh . Gairola . Shaurav . South Korea tests indigenous long-range surface-to-air missile . 20 April 2024 . Jane's Defense News . February 24, 2022.
31. News: Sang-ho . Song . S. Korea successfully tests L-SAM missile interceptor . 20 April 2024 . Yonhap . February 23, 2022.
32. News: Twelve new missile sites planned . 21 April 2024 . Taipei Times . October 24, 2023.
33. News: Taiwan Develops New Missiles To Counter China’s Threat . 21 April 2024 . Defense News . December 2, 2014.
34. News: Tien-Pin . Lo . Hetherington . William . New missile bolsters air defense: MND . 21 April 2024 . Taipei Times . April 29, 2023.
35. News: Kajal . Kapil . September 15, 2023 . TADTE 2023: NCSIST develops enhanced variants of Sky Bow III SAM system . 21 April 2024 . Jane's Defense News.
36. Book: Hutchinson, Robert . Weapons of Mass Destruction . Orion Publishing Group . 2011 . 9781780223773.
37. Jonathan . Aylen . The International Journal for the History of Engineering & Technology . 82 . 1 . January 2012 . 1–36 . Bloodhound on my Trail: Building the Ferranti Argus Process Control Computer . 10.1179/175812111X13188557853928 . 110338269.
38. Web site: Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile . Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance . 18 April 2024 . August 28, 2020.
39. Web site: Patriot . Missile Threat . Center for Strategic and International Studies . 18 April 2024 . August 23, 2023.
40. Web site: Hathaway . Brad . Ballistic Missile Defense: Information on Theater High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) and Other Theater Missile Defense Systems . General Accounting Office . 18 April 2024 . May 3, 1994.
41. Web site: Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) . Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance . 18 April 2024 . February 10, 2022.
42. Web site: Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) . Missile Threat . Center for Strategic and International Studies . 18 April 2024 . June 30, 2021.
43. Web site: Parsch . Andreas . Lockheed Martin THAAD . Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles . 18 April 2024 . 30 January 2024.
44. Web site: Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) . Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance . 18 April 2024 . March 2023.
45. Web site: Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) . Missile Threat . Center for Strategic and International Studies . 18 April 2024 . March 7, 2023.
46. Web site: Parsch . Andreas . Raytheon RIM-174 ERAM (SM-6) . Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles . 18 April 2024 . 24 November 2009.
47. Web site: Aegis Afloat . Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance . 18 April 2024 . March 2023.
48. Web site: Aegis Ashore . Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance . 18 April 2024 . January 2024.
49. Web site: Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) . Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance . 18 April 2024 . March 2023.
50. Web site: Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) . Missile Threat . Center for Strategic and International Studies . 18 April 2024 . March 9, 2023.
51. Web site: Missile Defense Review . Office of the Secretary of Defense . 17 April 2024 . 13 . 2019.
52. Web site: Parsch . Andreas . Raytheon RIM-161 Standard SM-3 . Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles . 18 April 2024 . 24 June 2009.
53. Web site: Parsch . Andreas . Western Electric/McDonnell Douglas LIM-49 Nike Zeus/Spartan . Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles . 18 April 2024 . 24 December 2002.
54. Book: Walker . James . Bernstein . Lewis . Lang . Sharon . Seize the High Ground: The U.S. Army in Space and Missile Defense . 2005 . Government Printing Office . 0160723086 . 46 .
55. Flax . Alexander . Weapons in Space, Vol. I: Concepts and Technologies . Daedalus . Spring 1985 . 114 . 2 . 36 . 20024977 .
56. Walker, Bernstein, Lang, p. 56
57. Walker, Bernstein, Lang, p. 95
58. Walker, Bernstein, Lang, p. 94
59. Sharon . Lang . From LoAD to Sentry: Defense of the MX . The Eagle . June–July 2007 . 14 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20161021143630/http://www.smdc.army.mil/2008/Historical/Eagle/FromLoadtoSentry-DefenseoftheMX.pdf . 2016-10-21 .
60. Book: Strategic Defenses: Two Reports by the Office of Technology Assessment. Office of Technology Assessment . 1986 . CITEREFOffice1986. 978-1-4008-5509-4 .
61. Web site: Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) . Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance . 18 April 2024 . January 31, 2019.
62. Web site: Ground-based Interceptor (GBI) . Missile Threat . Center for Strategic and International Studies . 18 April 2024 . July 26, 2021.
63. Book: Regional Ballistic Missile Defense in the Context of Strategic Stability . 2021 . National Academy Press . National Academy of Science . 10.17226/24964 . 978-0-309-46891-6 . 17 April 2024.
64. Web site: Glossary - boost phase . Nuclear Threat Initiative . 17 April 2024.
65. Web site: Glossary - midcourse phase . Nuclear Threat Initiative . 17 April 2024.
66. Web site: Glossary - terminal phase . Nuclear Threat Initiative . 17 April 2024.
67. NAS p. 98
68. Web site: Missile Defense Systems at a Glance . Arms Control Association . 17 April 2024 . August 2019.
69. Al Bu-Ainnain . Khalid Abdullah . Proliferation Assessment of Ballistic Missiles in the Middle East . INEGMA Special Report . November 2009 . 2 . 24 April 2024 . Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis.
70. Walker, Bernstein, Lang, p. 46
71. Web site: Missiles & Other WMD Delivery Systems: Missile Defense . Nuclear Threat Initiative . 17 April 2024 . 2023.
72. Garwin . Richard L. . Technical Aspects of Ballistic Missile Defense . APS Forum on Physics and Society . July 1999 . 28 . 3 . 18 April 2024.
73. Web site: Sprint . Nuclear ABMs of the USA . 18 April 2024 . January 27, 2003.
74. Walker, Bernstein, Lang, p. 59
75. News: Doyle . Gerry . Zafra . Mariano . Arranz . Adolfo . Chowdhury . Jitesh . Israel's Iron Dome How layers of air defences protected the country against the biggest onslaught of missiles and drones in its history . 19 April 2024 . Reuters . April 18, 2024.
76. News: Broad . William J. . X-Ray Laser Weapon Gains Favor . 1 May 2024 . New York Times . November 15, 1983.
77. Adapting to a Changing Weapons Program . Science & Technology Review . January–February 2001 . 55 . 2024-04-30 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170502040959/https://str.llnl.gov/str/January01/Batzel4.html . 2017-05-02 . dead .

See also

• Missile defense systems by country
• Anti-ballistic missile defense countermeasure