Question

Although the Soviet Union continued to increase its number of ICBMs through the late 1960s and into the 1970s, the U.S. kept its number of conventional missiles roughly constant. Instead the U.S. worked to create so-called "MIRVs". What advantage did this technology provide to the U.S.?

Answer 1

Normal missiles contain a warhead that is a single warhead on a single missile. Whereas A multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV) is a ballistic missile payload containing several warheads, each capable of being aimed to hit a different target. Each warhead strikes a target separately. The launch of such missile constitutes firing a missile having multiple stages. During its ballistic path every stage gets separated at a predetermined time after the launch. Along with every stage one or more warheads get fired. A four stage missile could fire eight to ten warheads on the targets. The post boost vehicle which separates from the missile prepares for re-entry into the earth's atmosphere. During all these maneuvers, warheads get fired after a gap of few seconds at pre-identified targets.

1 U.S MIRV missile = 10 USSR ICBM missiles approximately. So one shot 10 birds policy by U.S defence systems. We can monitor and track normal missiles with RADAR and if necessary we can shot down them with Advanced Air Defense System. The THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense), Patriot, and Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) platforms are America's top missile-defense systems, using powerful radars, an advanced network of sensors, and missiles that can hunt incoming targets.

I hereby request you to please watch the animated youtube video of MIRV from United States Air Force (USAF) demonstrates this technology at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARnyIrDg6xk

Thank You So Much! Please Rate this answer as you wish.