Missile, Surface-to-Surface, Pershing-II
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Pershing II
The Pershing II was a mobile, intermediate-range ballistic missile deployed by the U.S. Army at American bases in West Germany beginning in 1983. It was aimed at targets in the western Soviet Union. Each Pershing II carried a single, variable-yield thermonuclear warhead with an explosive force equivalent to 5-50 kilotons of TNT.
CCO - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)
This media is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and image viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. More - https://iiif.si.edu
Pershing II
The Pershing II was a mobile, intermediate-range ballistic missile deployed by the U.S. Army at American bases in West Germany beginning in 1983. It was aimed at targets in the western Soviet Union. Each Pershing II carried a single, variable-yield thermonuclear warhead with an explosive force equivalent to 5-50 kilotons of TNT. Under the terms of the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union, all Pershing IIs and their support equipment were removed from the inventory and rendered inoperable. This missile is a trainer, but its dimensions and weight are identical to an operational Pershing II.
European Protest of Nuclear Weapons
Heilbronner came to Bonn to protest against the deployment of nuclear missiles in the neighborhood of their city.
Pershing II
Close up view of Pershing II missile in flight, moments after launch; circa 1980s.
How the INF Treaty Brought Missiles to the Museum
Reagan and Gorbachev’s Relationship Warmed Cold War Tensions
Display Status:
This object is on display in the Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall exhibition at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.
The Pershing II was a mobile, intermediate-range ballistic missile deployed by the U.S. Army at American bases in West Germany beginning in 1983. It was aimed at targets in the western Soviet Union. Each Pershing II carried a single, variable-yield thermonuclear warhead with an explosive force equivalent to 5-50 kilotons of TNT. Under the terms of the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union, all Pershing IIs and their support equipment were removed from the inventory and rendered inoperable. This missile is a trainer, but its dimensions and weight are identical to an operational Pershing II. It was built by Martin Marietta and transferred by the Army Missile Command to NASM in 1990.
See more items in
National Air and Space Museum Collection
Location
National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC
Exhibition
Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall
Inventory Number
A19910037000
Alternate Name
Pershing II
Key Accomplishment(s)
Stepping Back from Nuclear War
Impact or Innovation
The treaty that banned these ballistic missiles was a step back from nuclear war and a harbinger of the Cold War’s end.
Brief Description
The Soviet SS-20 and U.S. Pershing II are two of more than 2,600 nuclear missiles banned by the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, the first international agreement to eliminate an entire class of nuclear weapons.
Credit Line
Transferred from the United States Army Missile Command.
Manufacturer
Martin Marietta Aerospace
Country of Origin
United States of America
Materials
Metal
Dimensions
Other: 3 ft. 3 5/8 in. diameter x 34 ft. 9 5/8 in. tall (100.6 x 1060.7cm)
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Type
CRAFT-Missiles & Rockets