Is uranium used in missiles

Answer 1

Yes. That is an ionized uranium atom. It is very similar to U-235, which is used in nuclear reactors.

Yes, it is used but the rest of the above answer is entirely wrong.

U-238 is not ionized! It is just the isotope that makes up 99.274% of natural uranium and typically 99.7% or more of depleted uranium. It will not support a fission chain reaction but can be made to fission by very high energy neutrons such as those produced in hydrogen fusion.

Both U-235 and U-238 are present in any reactor or uranium fueled bomb. Typical reactor fuel is 3% U-235 and 97% U-238, while oralloy (the usual uranium bomb fuel) is 93.5% U-235 and 6.5% U-238.

Both uranium and plutonium fueled fission bombs use a uranium tamper around their core. This is either depleted (≥99.7% U-238) or natural (99.274% U-238) uranium.

Fusion bombs use a fission bomb primary stage to trigger fusion in their fusion secondary stage.

Fusion bombs often use a uranium tamper around the fusion stage(s). This is either depleted (≥99.7% U-238) or natural (99.274% U-238) uranium. In some designs the fission of this U-238 can provide as much as 90% of the total yield of the bomb (and a corresponding amount of its fallout).

So U-238 is present in some amount in every nuclear reactor and every kind of nuclear weapon.

Answer 2

Yes, uranium can be used in missiles as a component of the warhead to enhance its penetration capabilities. Depleted uranium is commonly used for this purpose due to its high density and ability to pierce through armor.

Answer 3

Only if these missiles transport bombs with enriched uranium.

Answer 4

Uranium is not used for rockets but can be used for the atomic bombs sent by rockets.