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Since the late 1950s, one of the most important weapons in any major government’s arsenal has been the ICBM, or Intercontinental Ballistic Missile. These were developed as delivery mechanisms to send nuclear warheads to targets around the world, and by the end of the Cold War, the Soviet Union had 1,118 in its inventory, while the United States possessed 1,025 missiles of various types. Treaties signed after the USSR’s collapse reduced the numbers significantly, though several nations still possess ICBMs.

While it’s interesting to dig into the warheads an ICBM can deliver, one aspect of nuclear arms that’s often overlooked is just how powerful the missiles themselves are. The name gives it away, as they’re designed for intercontinental flight, but more than that, many fly up into space before turning towards their targets. On top of that, they feature numerous countermeasures, which is one of the reasons that it’s incredibly difficult to shoot down an ICBM.

To qualify as an ICMB, the missile must have a minimum range of 6,000 miles, so they can go quite far. No matter the design, ICBMs represent significant leaps in propulsion and navigation technology that share much with the Soviet and U.S. space programs. While one group of scientists and engineers worked out ways to send nuclear payloads around the globe, others used similar technology to launch the Space Race and reach for the Moon. Each of these five ICBMs is the most powerful still in operation, and they’re arranged by range, from shortest to longest.

While many ICBMs are exceptionally fascinating technological achievements in missile technology, silo-based ICBMs are among the most powerful. For years, the U.S. has maintained the LGM-30G Minuteman III as its primary silo-based ICBM, and it’s the latest in a long line of similar missiles dating back to the late 1950s. As of this writing, the U.S. Air Force maintains 450 Minuteman III ICBMs inside its 450 silos spread around the country. Each missile weighs 79,432 lbs., they have a diameter of 5.5 feet, and a range of over 6,000 miles.

The Minuteman III is a three-stage solid-fueled ICBM, and it’s been in service since 1970. In terms of the missile’s speed, it can fly up to Mach 23 (around 15,000 mph) during its terminal phase. Additionally, it has a high ceiling and is capable of flying up to 700 miles before turning its attention back to its terrestrial target.That’s well beyond the boundary of Earth’s atmosphere, which isn’t uncommon for ICBMs.

Although they’re no longer being made, the Air Force continues to maintain them around the clock to ensure they’re operational should the need ever arise.The next-generation ICBM is already in development, and it’s expected to replace the Minuteman III and remain in service until at least 2075. The LGM-35A Sentinel will require new, more modernized launch silos, so won’t replace the Minuteman III. As the old missiles are taken offline, however, the new ones will begin to take their place.

One of the most fascinating types of ICBM is the submarine-launched ballistic missile, or SLBM. As the name implies, these are launched from submarines, and when they’re fired beneath the surface, they’re encompassed in a gas bubble that keeps them from touching the water. The U.S. and United Kingdom both use the same SLBM in their respective submarines, the UGM-133 Trident II D-5. It is a sixth-generation SLBM that uses a solid propellant and features a complex navigation system.

The U.S. Navy deploys them on Ohio-class nuclear subs, and the U.K. Royal Navy deploys them on Vanguard-class boats. Each Trident II weighs 130,000 lbs. and boasts a maximum range of 7,135 miles. Because they’re deployed via submarines, they can be fired from anywhere a sub can go, making their ultimate range global. The Trident II is a three-stage missile featuring reduced drag and better fuel efficiency over its predecessors.

The missile’s first stage takes it out of the water, where its second stage begins the boost process that sends it fast and high into the sky. It features an internal guidance system, and each missile costs $30.9 million, which doesn’t include its payload. A Trident II can fly at speeds of up to Mach 24 (18,000 mph), or around 20,000+ feet per secondduring its final, terminal phase.The Navy has contracted Lockheed Martin to continue updating the Trident II, so it will likely remain in the inventory for years to come.

While the so-called Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) is relatively new to the nuclear arms game, the country has been hard at work trying to catch up. The DPRK has become a regional player in terms of nuclear arms, but its aim is significantly further, which is why it developed the Hwasong-15. The mobile, non-silo-capable ICBM was placed into service, likely sometime in 2017. The Hwasong-15 has undergone numerous test flights, revealing details about its characteristics to Western analysts.

While much is speculation, analysts have determined that the Hwasong-15 is a two-stage, liquid-fueled ICBM with a potential range of up to 8,078 miles. In one test conducted in November 2017, the missile remained airborne for 53 minutes while reaching an altitude of 2,796 miles. Another test demonstrated the Hwasong-15’s range by flying an estimated 6,214 miles, which puts it within range of the continental United States, depending on launch point.

While not much is known about its specifications, it’s believed that the Hwasong-15 is larger than its predecessor, the Hwasong-14. It’s likely around 74 feet high with a diameter of around 7.87 feet. It’s unclear precisely what type of engines it uses, but it’s believed to employ a variant of the Soviet RD-250 engine that produces up to 48 tons of thrust. Those are possibly in the first stage, while the second stage’s engines remain a mystery. What is known is that the DPRK has touted the missile to the public, and it’s a potential threat to the West.

Like the U.S., the Russian Federation, and the Soviet Union that preceded it, has maintained a large supply of variousballistic missiles for decades. As it happens, Russia’s (and the world’s) first ICBM, the R-7, was used to launch Sputnik-1 into orbit in 1957, firing the first shot of the Space Race. The nation’s newest ICBM is the RS-28 Samat, a silo-based long-range ICBM capable of striking targets up to 11,185 miles away. It’s a three-stage, liquid-fueled missile that likely entered service sometime in 2021, though it may still be under development.

The missile is quite large, measuring 115.8 feet tall and 9.8 feet in diameter. It can carry a payload weighing 22,046 lbs., and the ICBM itself weighs a whopping 458,782 lbs. One of the ICBM’s most interesting features is how it deploys its payload. It uses the YU-74 Avangard Hypersonic Glide Vehicle, which, when launched from the missile itself, can travel at up to Mach 20 (15,354 mph). That makes it incredibly challenging to intercept, which is the point of its design.

The RS-28 Samat itself can reach15,845 mph, and depending on how it flies, it theoretically has a maximum range of 21,750 miles. That said, one exploded during a test in 2024, and Russia doesn’t always tell the whole truth about its weapon systems and their capabilities. Still, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the RS-28 Sarmat “the most powerful missile in the world,” adding that it can “penetrate all existing and future antimissile defense systems.”

In 2025, China showed the world some of its newest weapons during the 80th anniversary of the end of the Pacific War. While many missiles were shown on launch vehicles, one caught the eyes of more than a few Western analysts: the Dong Feng-5C, or DF-5C. It’s China’s newest silo-based ICBM, and it’s also the first one the country has developed. While China enjoys showing off its new toys, it rarely divulges much about the missile’s specifications, characteristics, or capabilities.

Despite this, the West knows some details about the DF-5C. The ICBM is believed to boast the furthest range of any of China’s missiles, having the capability to strike targets up to 12,427 miles away. That also makes the DF-5C the most powerful missile in operation, based solely on its range. While it premiered to the world atop a vehicle, it’s likely that the missile is restricted to silos, though mobile ICBM launchers do exist in China’s inventory.

The two-stage missile uses a liquid propellant, and it represents the evolution of the original DF-5 first introduced in 1981. Unfortunately, that’s almost everything known about the DF-5C and its capabilities. Prior to the ICBM’s 2025 parade debutChina tested the missile in January 2017 with 10 multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs). Unfortunately, beyond that snippet of information, only some in China know the missile’s full capabilities.