Missile
A missile is an airborne
Historically, 'missile' referred to any
Missiles are also generally
History
In the early 20th century,
Components
Guidance, targeting and flight systems
A missile is most often guided by a guidance system though there are missiles that are unguided during some phases of flight.[11] The missile guidance system refers to methods of guiding a missile to its intended target as the missile's target accuracy is a critical factor for its effectiveness.[12] The missile guidance system accomplishes this by four steps: tracking the target, computing the directions using tracking information, directing the computed inputs to steering control and steering the missile by directing inputs to motors or flight control surfaces.[13] The guidance system consists of three sections: launch, mid-course and terminal with same or different systems employed across sections.[13]
The guidance and
Engine
Missiles are powered by
Warhead
Missiles have one or more
Classification
Missiles can be classified into categories by various parameters such as type, launch platform and target, range, propulsion and guidance system.[27] Missiles are generally categorized into strategic or tactical missile systems. Tactical missile systems are short-range systems used to carry out a limited strike in a smaller area and might carry conventional or nuclear warheads.[28][29] Strategic missiles are long-range weapons used to target beyond the immediate vicinity and are mostly designed to carry nuclear warheads though other warheads can also be fitted.[29]
Strategic
Strategic weapons are often classified into cruise and ballistic missiles.[30] Ballistic missiles are powered by rockets during launch and follow a trajectory that arches upwards before descending to reach its intended target while cruise missiles are continuously powered by jet engines and travel at a flatter trajectory.[30]
Ballistic
A ballistic missile is powered by single or multiple rockets in stages initially before following an unpowered trajectory that arches upwards before descending to reach its intended target. It can carry both nuclear and conventional warheads.
- Boost phase: First phase at launch when one or more stages of rocket engine(s) fire propelling the missile
- Mid-course phase: Second phase when the rocket engines stop firing and the missile continues ascending upwards on the given trajectory
- Terminal phase: Final phase when the warhead(s) detach and descend towards the target
Ballistic missiles are categorized based on range as:[33][30]
- Short-range: less than 1,000 kilometres (620 mi)
- Medium-range: 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) to 3,000 kilometres (1,900 mi)
- Intermediate-range: 3,000 kilometres (1,900 mi) to 5,500 kilometres (3,400 mi)
- Inter-continental : greater than 5,500 kilometres (3,400 mi)
Cruise
A
Tactical
Missiles might be also be classified basis launch platform and target into
System | Abbreviation | Launch platform | Target |
---|---|---|---|
Anti-ship
|
AShM | Air/Land/Water | Water |
Anti-tank
|
ATGM | Air/Land | Land |
Air-to-air | AAM | Air | Air |
Air-to-surface | ASM | Air | Land |
Surface-to-air | SAM | Land | Air |
Surface-to-surface | SSM | Land | Land |
Anti-satellite | ASAT | Air/Land/Water | Space |
Anti-ship
An anti-ship missile (AShM) is designed for use against large
Anti-tank
An anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) is a guided missile primarily designed to hit and destroy heavily armored military vehicles. ATGMs range in size from shoulder-launched weapons, which can be transported by a single soldier, to larger tripod-mounted or vehicle and aircraft mounted missile systems. Earlier man-portable anti-tank weapons like anti-tank rifles and magnetic anti-tank mines had a short range but sophisticated antitank missiles can be directed to a longer target by several different guidance systems, including laser guiding, television camera, or wire guiding.[37]
Air-to-air
An air-to-air missile (AAM) is a missile fired from a
Air-to-surface
An air-to-surface missile (ASM) is a missile fired from a
Surface-to-air
A surface-to-air missile (SAM) is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy
Surface-to-surface
A surface-to-surface missile (SSM) is a missile designed to be launched from the ground or the sea and strike targets on land.[40] They may be fired from hand-held or vehicle mounted devices, from fixed installations or from a ship. They are often powered by a rocket engine or sometimes fired by an explosive charge, since the launching platform is typically stationary or moving slowly. They usually have fins and/or wings for lift and stability, although hyper-velocity or short-ranged missiles may use body lift or fly a ballistic trajectory.[41] Most anti-tank and anti-ship missiles are part of surface-to-surface missile systems.[38]
Anti-satellite
An anti-satellite weapon (ASAT) is a
References
- ^ a b "missile, n. and adj.". OED Online. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2021. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
a. An object propelled (either by hand or mechanically) as a weapon at a target
b. Military. A long-distance weapon that is self-propelled, and directed either by remote control or automatically, during part or all of its course. - ISBN 978-0-5217-9158-8.
- ^ Forbes, James; Rosée comtesse de Montalembert, Eliza (1834). Oriental Memoirs – A Narrative of Seventeen Years Residence in India, Part 68, Volume 1. p. 359. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
The war rocket used by the Mahrattas which very often annoyed us, is composed of an iron tube eight or ten inches long and nearly two inches in diameter. This destructive weapon is sometimes fixed to a rod iron, sometimes to a straight two-edged sword, but most commonly to a strong bamboo cane four or five feet long with an iron spike projecting beyond the tube to this rod or staff, the tube filled with combustible materials
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- New York Times. 13 January 2013. Archived from the originalon 9 February 2008. Retrieved 21 June 2007.
- ^ Zak, Anatoly. "Gas Dynamics Laboratory". Russian Space Web. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
- ^ "The V Weapons". History Learning Site.
- ^ "The V Weapons". History Learning Site.
- ^ "British Response to V1 and V2". The National Archives.
- ^ "Missile, Surface-to-Surface, V-2 (A-4)". National Air and Space Museum. April 1, 2016.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-3872-1816-8.
- ISBN 978-9-0247-2545-8.
- ^ a b Aviation Ordnanceman 3 & 2. United States Bureau of Naval Personnel. 1967. p. 355.
- ^ Weapons System Fundamentals: Synthesis of systems. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1960. p. 60.
- ^ a b c Fire Control Technician M 3 & 2. United States Naval Education and Training Command. 1978. p. 87.
- ^ "Inertial Guidance System". Britannica. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ "Command Guidance System". Britannica. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ "Vectored thrust". NASA. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ "Redstone Missile Rocket Engine". National Air and Space Museum.
- ISBN 978-1-889526-21-8.
- ^ a b Sutton, George P. (1963). Rocket Propulsion Elements, 3rd edition. New York: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 25, 186, 187.
- ^ "Turbojet Engine". NASA Glenn Research Center. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
- ^ "Missile system". Brahmos aerospace. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ "Lab products: SAMHO". DRDO. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ "Warhead". Cambridge. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ Carleone, Joseph (1993). Tactical Missile Warheads. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Incorporated.
- ^ "Missile classification". Brahmos. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ "Strategic and nuclear weapons". Indian Express. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ a b "Strategic missile". Britannica. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Difference between ballistic and cruise missiles". Military view. 14 September 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ a b c "Ballistic vs cruise missiles" (PDF). Arms Control Center. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 August 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ "World's military powers". The Independent. Archived from the original on 30 May 2010.
- ^ a b "Missile". Britannica. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ "Cruise missile". Britannica. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ "Anti ship missile". Britannica. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ISBN 978-0-9175-6121-4.
- ^ "Anti tank guided missile". Britannica. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Tactical Weapons system". Britannica. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ISBN 9780850451634.
- ^ "The world's top air-to-surface missiles". Airforce technology. November 2019. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ISBN 9780850451634.
- ISBN 9-780-8702-1793-7.
- ^ Hitchens, Theresa (5 April 2019). "Indian ASAT Debris Threatens All LEO Sats: Update". Breaking Defense. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
- ^ Strout, Nathan (16 December 2020). "Space Command calls out another Russian anti-satellite weapon test". C4ISRNET. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 2021-01-06.
- ^ "Russia conducts space-based anti-satellite weapons test". United States Space Command. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
- ^ Gohd, Chelsea (22 November 2021). "Russian anti-satellite missile test draws condemnation from space companies and countries". Space.com. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
- ^ Strauch, Adam (2014). ""Still All Quiet on the Orbital Front? The Slow Proliferation of Anti-satellite Weapons". Defence & Strategy.