ICBM

An ICBM, or intercontinental ballistic missile, could carry a nuclear warhead between continents. Long-range missiles allowed attacks over enormous distances with little warning, increasing both superpowers' vulnerability.

In 1957, the USA tested an intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, and the Soviet Union achieved its first successful ICBM launch. These missiles could carry nuclear weapons over enormous distances, making an opponent’s homeland vulnerable to attack.