LGM-118 Peacekeeper
Intercontinental ballistic missiles
Country of origin
United States
United States
ManufacturerMartin Marietta, Thiokol, Aerojet, Hercules Inc.
The LGM-118 Peacekeeper, originally known as the MX for "Missile, Experimental", was a MIRV-capable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) produced and deployed by the United States from 1986 to 2005. The missile could carry up to eleven Mark 21 reentry vehicles (although treaties limited its actual payload to ten), each armed with a 300-kiloton W87 warhead. Plans called for building and deploying up to 200 MX ICBMs, but budgetary and political concerns limited the final procurement; only 50 entered service. Disarmament treaties signed after the Peacekeeper's development led to its withdrawal from service in 2005.
Studies of the underlying concept began in the 1960s. The goal was to enable the United States to absorb a surprise attack by the USSR while retaining enough surviving warheads to strike the remaining Soviet missile silos. To achieve this, the missiles had to be highly accurate, deployed in a manner that would allow enough of them to survive a nuclear attack, carry enough warheads to inflict massive damage even after suffering losses, and be capable of rapid retargeting so they could be aimed only at missiles the Soviets had not yet launched. Throughout its development...
Studies of the underlying concept began in the 1960s. The goal was to enable the United States to absorb a surprise attack by the USSR while retaining enough surviving warheads to strike the remaining Soviet missile silos. To achieve this, the missiles had to be highly accurate, deployed in a manner that would allow enough of them to survive a nuclear attack, carry enough warheads to inflict massive damage even after suffering losses, and be capable of rapid retargeting so they could be aimed only at missiles the Soviets had not yet launched. Throughout its development...
