Stealth ICBM

nitronewt

I was sitting here thinking today, would it be possible for someone to build a stealth ICBM? It just seems somewhat scary as it would be very easy to build a rocket that could be remotely ignited. Couple that with avionics capable of adjusting the trajectory and stealth material/construction along with a location to launch covertly and it would seem to be a viable terrorist threat?

boneh3ad

It wouldn't really be possible. Launches are already somewhat concealed when fired from a submerged submarine. You may be able to somewhat obscure the launch from radar, but that isn't generally how those are monitored anyway. Once the re-entry vehicle enters the atmosphere, the heat would destroy any normal radar absorbing material and would give away the position anyway. Even if you could make gains, it would like not make a huge difference given that a target already has only a matter of minutes to react anyway. Maybe someone else has some sort of other idea that would work but I can't think of any.

nitronewt

Would it be possible to mask the heat signature from the re-entry pod by pumping cryogenic liquid just beneath the surface of the skin of the vehicle to counteract the heat caused by re-entry?

boneh3ad

No, the heating has nothing to do with the surface. It is all based on the velocity of the projectile moving through the air. You have such an intense compression of the air behind the shockwaves at re-entry speeds that the air can get hot enough to melt steel. Cryogenic cooling could help cool the surface but it wouldn't fix the cause of the heat.

Aero51

It would surely be possible if the missile were subsonic/ low supersonic and flew within the atmosphere. Realistically, with progress using thrust vectoring, supercruise, electronic counter measures and material advances im sure a prototype exists already. It will not be a true ICBM though. I thought the tomahawk had a stealth concept in the works?

boneh3ad

Of course there are early stealth cruise missile, but that isn't the same thing. They rely on drastically different tactics than an ICBM, not to mention move much slower, and actually can benefit from stealth technologies.

etudiant

A stealth ICBM is technically infeasible, the launch creates a huge thermal signature that is visible even to 40 year old IR surveillance satellites.The track on the booster gives an excellent idea of the target area, even if the warhead can wiggle a little (+/- 100 miles or so).
Also, an ICBM is useless without the nuclear warhead.
Terrorists have been trying to get access to nuclear warheads without success for years.
Why would they risk this precious asset, once obtained, in an unreliable bootleg ICBM when they evidently have plenty of suicide drivers eager to deliver the weapon by truck or boat?
The stealth ICBM or cruise missile concept seems most applicable in a case such as Iran, where other countries might wish to strike selected facilities, but without openly admitting the fact. Even that seems very far fetched.