Pershing II

American  

[pur-shing too] / ˈpɜr ʃɪŋ ˈtu /

noun

1. a 38-foot (12 meters) U.S. Army surface-to-surface nuclear missile with a single warhead and range of more than 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometers).

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Etymology

Origin of Pershing II

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

In fact, President Ronald Reagan’s determination to deploy Pershing II and cruise missiles in West Germany, beginning in 1983, was critical.

From New York Times • Feb. 26, 2023

The American side destroyed missiles it had sent to Western Europe in response to the SS-20, including Pershing II ballistic missiles and ground-launched cruise missiles.

From New York Times • Oct. 19, 2018

There have been transatlantic spats before, of course, from the Suez Crisis in 1956 to the Vietnam War in the 1960s, the Pershing II missiles in the 1980s and the Iraq War in the 2000s.

From Washington Post • Jun. 10, 2018

Talks went dormant for more than a year after nuclear-capable Pershing II medium-range ballistic missiles were positioned in Europe in 1983 to counter Soviet SS-20 missiles.

From Washington Post • Dec. 18, 2017

After three American soldiers were killed when the rocket motor of a Pershing II missile caught fire in Germany last January, the Army launched an investigation into the cause.

From Time Magazine Archive