Query: a Trident I’m guessing carries multiple nuclear payloads. Can it thus be converted to carry multiple non-nuke payloads? Because that would be cool. We could target the spot we last saw him, the spot we think he’s going, and points on the road in between.
Correct. MIRV capability goes along with the bus on those things. In effect, time on target would be achieved as well. In the end, what matters is the ability to lift enough conventional explosive on the individual warheads, and the accuracy of the system.
As an aside to Sonofstrangelove, while cruise missiles are quite effective with conventional weapons, there is a problem with radius of action and the amount of time that it takes to arrive on target. An ICBM is fast (lots faster than Mach 20). It also covers a much larger geographic area that it can act over. This means that you don’t have to put those subs into proximity to the target before launch.
Remember, an ICBM with conventional weapons is a “snap shot” weapon. Its greatest benefit is that it can be popped off on very short notice. Therein lies the benefit. Other methods take time. Sometimes lots of it. The possibility of needing such a weapon is fairly low, but if it is needed, it is needed a LOT, and it may be your only option for a target that is only going to be sitting still for a relatively short period of time. Again, it’s expensive, but when nothing else is available on short notice, it may be the only option.