National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC
Past Exhibition
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.
Display Status
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
Video
Object Details
Key Accomplishment(s)
Stepping Back from Nuclear War
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.
Country of Origin
United States of America
Type
CRAFT-Missiles & Rockets
Manufacturer
Martin Marietta Aerospace
Dimensions
Other: 3 ft. 3 5/8 in. diameter x 34 ft. 9 5/8 in. tall (100.6 x 1060.7cm)
Materials
Metal
Alternate Name
Pershing II
Inventory Number
A19910037000
Credit Line
Transferred from the United States Army Missile Command.
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Open Access (CCO)
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.
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