Naval History and Heritage Command
Fleet Ballistic Missiles of the United States Navy
Missile Type |
Polaris (A-1) |
Polaris (A-2) |
Polaris (A-3) |
Poseidon (C-3) |
Trident I (D-4) |
Trident II (D-5) |
Length (feet) |
28.5 |
31 |
32.3 |
34 |
34 |
45.8 |
Diameter (inches) |
54 |
54 |
54 |
74 |
74 |
83 |
Launch Weight (pounds) |
28,000 |
32,500 |
35,700 |
34,000 |
73,000 |
130,000 |
Powered Stages |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
Warhead/Yield (kilotons) |
[W47] 600 |
[W47] 800 |
[W58] 200 |
[W68] 100 |
[W76] 100 |
[W88] 475 [W76] 100 |
Guidance System |
Mk1 |
Mk1 |
Mk2 |
Mk3 |
Mk5 |
Mk6 |
Approximate Circular Error Probable |
2 |
2 |
.5 |
.25 |
0.12–0.25 |
0.06 |
Number of Warheads |
1 |
1 |
3 (MRV*) |
10 (MIRV*) |
8 (MIRV) |
10–14 (MIRV) |
Nominal Range (nautical miles) |
1200 |
1500 |
2500 |
2500–3200 |
4000 |
4000+ |
Year First Deployed |
1960 |
1962 |
1964 |
1971 |
1979 |
1989 |
*MRV, or multiple reentry vehicle, indicates multiple nuclear payloads for a single target.
*MIRV, or multiple independently targeted reentry vehicle, indicates multiple nuclear payloads capable of striking multiple targets.
─Randall Fortson, NHHC Histories and Archives Division, February 2021
_______________________________________________
Sprinardi, Graham. From Polaris to Trident: The Development of U. S. Fleet Ballistic Missile Technology, 7. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994.
United State Department of the Navy. Facts and Chronology: Polaris-Poseidon-Trident, 20. Washington, DC: Strategic Systems Programs, U.S. Navy, 2015.
