An ICBM is in Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile. They are what you see in the bunkers and can be fired into orbit from the ground. Currently the US is the only country to have ICBMs. (I've heard mixed stories about Russia, they may have ICBMs but I don't believe they have the same range... Hence the Cuban Missile Crisis... They had to ship them to Cuba to scare the crap out of us)
There are several reasons why ICBMs are more destructive than atomic bombs. For one, they carry multiple warheads that break apart on re-entry, thus spreading out the damage. They've also made many improvements since then, cobalt casings and something to do with hydrogen. I know the cobalt casings magnefy the atomic reaction by preventing electrons from escaping the frame better then the original casing. (I've heard an atomic reaction being described as several million mouse traps layed out inside a glass case, one goes off which sets off a chain reaction among the rest... Its interesting to see in practice... The mousetraps I mean)
I once heard that the US contains enough nuclear firepower to destroy the Earth 12 times over. Kinda scary to think about.
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