Intermediate-range ballistic missile
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An intermediate-range ballistic missile, or IRBM, is a ballistic missile with a range of 2750-5500 km or 1719-3437 miles.
See also Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
Alternative use of launchers
IRBMs are frequently turned into small satellite launchers via the addition of (usually multiple) upper stages. In the United States, this happened to both the Thor and Jupiter. A derivative of the Jupiter, the Jupiter-C launched the U.S.'s first satellite, Explorer 1.
Examples include:
- Thor
- Redstone
- Jupiter IRBM
- Shavit
- Taepo Dong 2
- Pluton
- Hades
- SM-64 Navaho (cancelled)