thumb|აშშ-ის ბალისტიკური რაკეტა „სერჟანტი“
'''ბალისტიკური რაკეტა''', ბალისტიკური ტრაექტორიით მფრინავი რაკეტა. ფრთიანი რაკეტისგან განსხვავებით, ბალისტიკური რაკეტას არა აქვს მზიდი ზედაპირი, რომლის დანიშნულებაა ატმოსფეროში ფრენის დროს აეროდინამიკური ამწე ძალების შექმნა. აეროდინამიკური მდგრადობის უზრუნველსაყოფად მას ზოგჯერ სტაბილიზატორებს უკეთებენ. ბალისტიკური რაკეტებს განეკუთვნება სხვადასხვა ტიპის საბრძოლო (მათ შორის საკონტინენტთშორისო) რაკეტები, რაკეტა-მატარებლები და კოსმოსური რაკეტები. 

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thumb|250px|right|Diagram of V-2, the first ballistic missile.
A '''ballistic missile''' is a ballistic flightpath with the objective of delivering a warhead to a predetermined target. The missile is only guided during the relatively brief initial powered phase of flight and its course is subsequently governed by the laws of orbital mechanics and ballistics. To date,  ballistic missiles have been propelled during powered flight by chemical rocket engines of various types.

A missile may be largely ballistic but be capable of some evasive maneuvering, as has been claimed for the Bulava under development. In that case the term "quasi-ballistic" is sometimes used.

The first ballistic missile was the A-4, commonly known as the May 1945 over 3,000 V-2s had been launched.

A ballistic missile trajectory consists of three parts: The powered flight portion, the free-flight portion which constitutes most of the flight time, and the re-entry phase where the missile re-enters the Earth's atmosphere.

Ballistic missiles can be launched from fixed sites or mobile launchers, including vehicles (Transporter Erector Launchers, TELs), ships and submarines. The powered flight portion can last from a few tens of seconds to several minutes and can consist of multiple rocket stages.

When in space and no more thrust is provided, the missile enters free-flight. In order to cover large distances, ballistic missiles are usually launched into a high sub-orbital spaceflight; for intercontinental missiles the highest altitude (apogee) reached during free-flight is about 1200 km. 

The re-entry stage begins at an altitude where atmospheric drag plays a significant part in missile impact.

== Missile types ==
thumb|250px|right|[[Royal Navy Vanguard class submarine launched Trident II ballistic missile being fired.]]
Ballistic missiles can vary widely in range and use, and are often divided into categories based on range. Various schemes are used by different countries to categorize the ranges of ballistic missiles:

*'''Tactical ballistic missile''': Range between about 150 and 300km. 
:*'''Battlefield range ballistic missile''' (BRBM): Range less than 200km. 

*'''Theatre ballistic missile''': Range between 300 and 3500km. 
:*'''Short-range ballistic missile''' (SRBM): Range 1000km or less.
:*'''Medium-range ballistic missile''' (MRBM): Range between 1000 and 3500 km

*'''Intermediate-range ballistic missile''' (IRBM) or '''long-range ballistic missile''' (LRBM): Range between 2500 or 3000  and 5500 km.
*'''Intercontinental ballistic missile''' (ICBM): Range greater than 5500 km.
*'''Submarine-launched ballistic missile''' (SLBM): Launched from ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), all current designs have intercontinental range.

Short- and medium-range missiles are often collectively referred to as '''theatre or tactical ballistic missiles''' (TBMs). Long- and medium-range ballistic missiles are generally designed to deliver nuclear weapons because their payload is too limited for conventional explosives to be efficient (though the U.S. may be evaluating the idea of a conventionally-armed ICBM for near-instant global air strike capability despite the high costs<ref></ref>).

The flight phases are like those for ICBMs, except with no exoatmospheric phase for missiles with ranges less than about 350 km.

== Specific missiles ==
<!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: thumb|250px|right|[[Pakistan's Shaheen 2 Missile]] -->
120px|right|thumb|Shaheen-I Missile
<!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: thumb|250px|right|[[Pakistan's Ghauri 2 Missile]] -->
Specific types of ballistic missiles include: 

=== Argentina===
*''Condor'' SRBM

=== China===
*''DF-3A'': IRBM
*''DF-4'': IRBM
*''DF-5'': ICBM
*''DF-11'': SRBM
*''DF-15'': SRBM
*''DF-21'': MRBM
*''DF-25'': MRBM
*''DF-31'': ICBM
*''DF-41'': ICBM
*''JL-1'': SLBM IRBM
*''JL-2'': SLBM ICBM

=== France===
*''Hadès'': SRBM
*''M45'': ICBM
*''M51'': SLBM
*''Pluton'': SRBM

=== India===
*''Prithvi I'' SRBM
*''Prithvi II'' SRBM
*''Prithvi III'' SRBM
*''Agni I'': SRBM
*''Agni II'' : MRBM
*''Agni III'' : IRBM
*''Agni V'' : ICBM (Under development)
*''Surya'': ICBM (Speculated)
*''Sagarika'': SLCM
*''Agni IIISL'' : SLBM (Under development)

=== Iran===
*''Shahab-1'': SRBM
*''Zelzal-1'': SRBM
*''Shahab-2'': SRBM
*''Zelzal-2'': SRBM
*''Zelzal-3'': SRBM
*''Fateh-110'': SRBM
*''Shahab-3'': MRBM
*''Fajr-3'': MRBM
*''Ashoura missile'': MRBM
*''Ghadr-110'': IRBM
*''Shahab-4'': ICBM [SLV]
*''Shahab-5'': ICBM (presumably)

=== Iraq===
*''Al Abbas'': 
*''Al Hijarah'': 
*''Al Hussein'': 
*''Al Hussein II'': 
*''Al Samoud'' :
*''Al Samoud II'' :

=== Israel===
*''Jericho I'': SRBM
*''Jericho II'': MRBM
*''Jericho III'': ICBM

=== Nazi Germany===
*''V-2''