re-entry vehicle

British  

noun

1. the portion of a ballistic missile that carries a nuclear warhead and re-enters the earth's atmosphere

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Example Sentences

Even so, questions still hang over the viability of North Korea’s re-entry vehicle – the protected warhead that re-enters the atmosphere – and its missile guidance systems.

From Washington Times

Many questions remained unanswered about North Korea’s long-range missile program, such as whether the country can actually fly its missile on an intercontinental trajectory and whether it has mastered the technology for a “re-entry vehicle,” carrying a warhead, to detach from a missile at high altitude and survive the stresses of diving back into the atmosphere on its way to its target.

From New York Times

“New technologies tested included a possible hypersonic guiding warhead and a maneuverable re-entry vehicle,” the panel said.

From Seattle Times

The new missiles North Korea has tested in the past week also had a so-called maneuverable re-entry vehicle, or a warhead that can thwart missile defense systems by changing course in the atmosphere after it is detached from the booster rocket, South Korean defense officials said.

From New York Times

With “boost glide” technology, weapons are fired up into the sky along the boundary of the earth’s atmosphere.… before utilizing the speed of descent to strike targets as a re-entry vehicle.

From Fox News