Why is missile used?

Why is missile used?

missile, a rocket-propelled weapon designed to deliver an explosive warhead with great accuracy at high speed. Missiles vary from small tactical weapons that are effective out to only a few hundred feet to much larger strategic weapons that have ranges of several thousand miles.

Is the AMRAAM fire and forget?

Designed with a 7-inch (180 mm) diameter, and employing active transmit-receive radar guidance instead of semi-active receive-only radar guidance, it has the advantage of being a fire-and-forget weapon when compared to the previous generation Sparrow missiles.

Why do missiles have wings?

The large wings provide plenty of lift. Some missiles may thrust vector as well. Depending on the range and mission of your missile, body lift alone may be enough to keep it aloft.

What is the difference between guidance and control system in missiles?

A missile GUIDANCE system keeps the missile on the proper flight path from launcher to target, in accordance with signals received from control points, from the target, or from other sources of information. The missile CONTROL system keeps the missile in the proper flight attitude.

Why do missiles explode above the target area?

This way an airburst (exploding above the ground instead of on/in it) ensures better dispersal of the warhead’s effects (spreading further across the target area instead of down into the ground). The extreme example of this is nuclear missiles, which usually explode some distance above their targets to achieve maximum damage.

What are the components of a ballistic missile?

All ballistic missiles are made up of three essential elements: a propulsion system, which provides the energy necessary to reach the target; a guidance system, which contains steering of the missile during powered flight and ensures the correct initial conditions for the ballistic trajectory; and the payload, which destroys the target.

How does an anti-ship missile work?

The warhead uses some kind of explosive (fragmentation, expanding rods, or shaped charge) to send projectiles into the target aircraft. That depends on the missile and how it is fused. Anti-ship missiles are usually contact fused, anti-aircraft missiles can be proximity fused.