MRBM

MRBM stands for Medium Range Ballistic Missile. In military terminology, MRBM refers to a land-based ballistic missile with a typical flight range of roughly 1,000 to 3,000 kilometers (about 620 to 1,860 miles), though definitions vary and some sources extend the upper bound toward 3,500 kilometers. MRBMs sit between short-range ballistic missiles and intermediate-range missiles (IRBMs) in the traditional classification, and they are designed for regional rather than global strike roles.

Designs have used both liquid and solid propellants and have been deployed in silo-based, road-mobile, and sometimes rail-mobile configurations. Payloads have included nuclear and, in some cases, conventional warheads, and some MRBMs were developed to carry multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs).

Historically, MRBMs were central to Cold War deterrence, providing regional strike capability without reaching intercontinental ranges. In 1987, the United States and Soviet Union signed the INF Treaty, which eliminated all ground-based MRBMs and IRBMs with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers from both sides. The treaty's dissolution in 2019 ended this framework for those states, altering strategic calculations.

In the contemporary era, the term MRBM is still used in discussions of regional deterrence and arms control. Several states outside the INF framework maintain land-based missiles in the MRBM range, contributing to regional security dynamics and proliferation concerns.