intermediate range ballistic missile

American  

noun

1. any supersonic missile that has a range of 800 to 1,500 nautical miles (1,500 to 2,800 km) and follows a ballistic trajectory after a powered, guided launching. IRBM, I.R.B.M.

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intermediate range ballistic missile British  

noun

1.  IRBM.  a missile that follows a ballistic trajectory with a medium range, normally of the order of 750–1500 miles

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intermediate-range ballistic missile Cultural  

1. A missile that carries nuclear warheads and is launched from the ground or submarines, but that has a range of only a few hundred to fifteen hundred miles.

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Etymology

Origin of intermediate range ballistic missile

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

The launches marked North Korea’s second known launch event of the year, following a Jan. 14 flight test-firing of the country’s first solid-fuel intermediate range ballistic missile, which reflected its efforts to advance its lineup of weapons targeting U.S. military bases in Japan and Guam.

From Seattle Times

In October 2022, North Korea fired an intermediate range ballistic missile over Japan for the first time in five years.

From New York Times

North Korea last flew a missile over Japan in October in what it described as test of a new intermediate range ballistic missile, which experts say potentially would be capable of reaching Guam, a major U.S. military hub in the Pacific.

From Washington Times

Those weapons included a new intermediate range ballistic missile that flew over Japan while demonstrating potential range to reach Guam, a major U.S. military hub in the Pacific, and a short-range missile fired from an unspecified platform inside an inland reservoir.

From Seattle Times

South Korea and the United States are holding joint naval exercises involving a U.S. aircraft carrier this week after North Korea fired a series of ballistic missiles including a intermediate range ballistic missile over Japan on Tuesday.

From Reuters

Related Words

• intercontinental ballistic missile
• surface-to-air missile