Submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM)

A submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) is a ballistic missile capable of being launched from some submarines. Modern variants usually deliver multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs) each of which carry a nuclear warhead and allow a single launched missile to strike several targets. Submarine-launched ballistic missiles operate in a different way to submarine-launched cruise missiles.

 

 

 

Modern submarine-launched ballistic missiles are closely related to intercontinental ballistic missiles, and in many cases SLBMs and ICBMs may be part of the same family of weapons.

External and cross sectional views of a Trident II D5 nuclear missile system. It is a submarine launched missile capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads up to 8,000 km. Trident missiles are carried by fourteen active US Navy Ohio class submarines and four Royal Navy Vanguard class submarines.

Ballistic missile submarines have been of great strategic importance for the USA and Russia and other nuclear powers since the start of the Cold War, as they can hide from reconnaissance satellites and fire their nuclear weapons with virtual impunity.

Nuclear weapons are rarely used because their using is essentially an «invitation» for a retaliation, which in turn could escalate into a war so destructive it could easily destroy huge segments of the world's population. During the Cold War, this understanding became known as mutually assured destruction and was largely the reason war never broke out between the United States and Soviet Union.

But nowadays there is a great concern that the weapon of this kind can be available for terrorist organizations, moreover can be used by these organizations.

 

Questions: Answer T (True) / F (False) / DS (Doesn`t say)

1) All Intercontinental ballistic missiles have got three or four nuclear warheads. ______

2) The 17th launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile "Bulava" was scheduledfrom the atomic submarine "Yury Dolgoruky". _____

3) A ballistic missile submarine is a submarine equipped to launch ballistic missiles. _____

4) Ballistic missile submarines are larger than any other type of submarine. ______

5) Using nuclear weapon cannot damage the world's population. ______

6) A lot of terrorist organizations have got ICBMand SLBM. _______

Correct the False statements.

 

Assignment 4. Fill in the missing letters.

ICBM -Inte_cont_nen_al ba_ _isti_ m_ss_le

SLBM - S_bmar_ne - la_nched _alli_tic m_ssil_

IRBMs - _nterm_diate - r_nge ballist_c missil_s

the USA - the Un_ted St_tes of Am_ri_ a

 

Assignment5. Label the picture.

 

Assignment6. Match.

1. air-to-air missile 2. air-to-ground missile/ air-to-surface missile 3. surface-to-air missile 4. antiaircraft missile 5. surface-to-surface missile 6. antimissile missile 7. ballistic missile 8. cruisemissile 9. guidedmissile 10. intercontinentalballisticmissile 11. intermediate-range missile/ medium-range missile 12. long-rangemissile/ strategicmissile 13. nuclearmissile 14. short-rangemissile, tacticalmissile

a. баллистическая ракета b. зенитная ракета c. ракета класса "земля-воздух" d. ракета "воздух-земля" e. крылатая ракета f. противоракета, антиракета g. ракета "воздух-воздух" h. дерная ракета i. ракета ближнего радиуса действия, j. тактическая ракета k. ракета дальнего радиуса действия, стратегическая ракета l. ракета среднего радиуса действия m. межконтинентальная баллистическая ракета n. ракета "земля-земля" o. управляемая ракета

 

 

Assignment7. Put the words in the correct order.

1) are /nuclear /weapons /dangerous.

2) missiles /how/ in /can /we /science/ use /military?

3) a/below/submarine/quietly/surface /lurks /the /ocean's.

4) are /a /of /types/ ballistic /there/ of/ missiles /lot.

5) ma’am /see/ready/is/to/you/General/the.

6) was/do/the/successful/think/you/mission?

7) not/place/it/dangerous/a/was.

Assignment 8. Discuss in groups:

1. What do you know about the Intercontinental ballistic missile?

2. Tell about the Submarine-launched ballistic missile?

3. The role of the missiles in present-day world.

 

Home assignment.

Assignment 9.

Choose a type of the missile and write an article about it. (100-150 words)

Assignment 10. Circle 9 words.

D	P	O	K	L	A	M	A	A
A	I	E	T	N	A	I	R	O
C	C	B	B	F	S	S	H	H
X	O	T	O	S	V	S	S	M
S	U	B	M	A	R	I	N	E
X	N	T	B	R	W	L	J	K
M	T	S	S	P	E	E	D	V
B	R	R	D	U	A	O	O	V
I	Y	R	S	S	P	A	C	E
H	L	A	F	F	O	H	F	E
E	N	M	R	A	N	G	E	D

 

Assignment 11.

Types of SLBMs in different countries:

United States (sometimes described as Fleet Ballistic Missiles)

UGM-27 Polaris – decommissioned

UGM-73 Poseidon – decommissioned

UGM-96 Trident I (C4) – decommissioned

UGM-133 Trident II (D5)

Soviet Union / Russia

R-13 NATO name SS-N- 4 – decommissioned

R-21 NATO name SS-N-5 – decommissioned

RSM-25 R-27 NATO name SS-N-6 – decommissioned

RSM-40R-29 "Vysota", NATO name SS-N-8 "Sawfly" – decommissioned

RSM-45 R-31 NATO name SS-N-17 "Snipe" – decommissioned

RSM-50 R-29R "Vysota", NATO name SS-N-18 "Stingray"

RSM-52 R-39 "Rif", NATO name SS-N-20 "Sturgeon" – decommissioned

RSM-54 R-29RM "Shtil", NATO name SS-N-23 "Skiff" – decommissioned (last ship is now under rebuild to R-29RMU "Sineva")

RSM-54 R-29RMU "Sineva", NATO name SS-N-23 "Skiff"

RSM-54 R-29RMU2 "Liner"

RSM-56 R-30 "Bulava", NATO name SS-NX-32 – under development

United Kingdom

UGM-27 Polaris and Chevaline – decommissioned

UGM-133 Trident II (D5)

Lesson 51.Missile Defense

Assignment 1. Read the following words and word combinations, using transcriptions:

antiballistic missile system(ABM)	[əntibə'lɪstɪk 'mɪsaɪl'sɪstəm]	destruction	[dɪ'strʌkʃ(ə)n]
detection	[dɪ'tekʃ(ə)n]	protection	[prə'tekʃ(ə)n]
interception	[ˌɪntə'sepʃ(ə)n]	Ground-Based Midcourse Defense system	[graund - beɪsd ˌmɪd'kɔːs də`fens 'sɪstəm]

 

 

Assignment 2. Active vocabulary: Learn the following words and word combinations