Intermediate-range ballistic missile

An intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) is a ballistic missile with a range between 3,000 to 5,500 km (1,864 to 3,418 miles), categorized between a medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) and an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Classifying ballistic missiles by range is done mostly for convenience. In principle there is little difference between a high-performance IRBM and a low-performance ICBM, because decreasing payload mass can increase the range over the ICBM threshold. The range definition used here is used within the U.S. Missile Defense Agency.

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