Mass Driver – A device also know as a rail gun. Using a series of super electromagnets, a piece of metal is accelerated to incredible speeds.
Electromagnetic Pulse – Otherwise known as an EMP. An EMP is a pulse of magnetic energy that is released as a side effect of a nuclear detonation. It will destroy the circuitry of any electronic device that is turned on when the pulse hits.
Bibliography
Appendix B – Historical Data
All essay terms in ITALICS appear here
V1 – The V1 rocket, or vengeance weapon was the first guided missile. It was developed by the Germans and used extensively during the second World War. It had a range of approximately 150 miles. Thousands of these missiles were launched against Britain from occupied France.
V2 – The V2 was another more advanced form of guided missile. When compared to the V1, the V2 had much better range (almost 300 miles) and was more accurate. Even more fascinating about it was the fact that it traveled faster than any other aircraft in the war. While V1s could be intercepted by fighters, there was nothing fast enough to catch the V2, it moved so fast that it often got to its target zone undetected.
V3 – The first attempt at a true ICBM, the V3 was a missile that was under development at the end of the war. It was to be the weapon that the German military could use to strike back at Canada and the United States.
R-7 rocket – The R7 was the first true ICBM. It was created in the Soviet Union with the help of ex-German scientists. This was the first missile to be able to reach the United States from Europe. It was also the launch vehicle for the early Russian space program, where it launched the first satellite, dog, and human into space.
South Africa – South Africa so far has been the only country in the world to develop a nuclear arsenal and then voluntarily disable it.