Cruise missile

A cruise missile is a guided missile that flies, through the atmosphere, to its target. It can be launched from an airplane, a ship, a submarine, or a surface vehicle. The missile relies on both aerodynamic lift and engine propulsion to stay airborne, and primarily uses aerodynamic control surfaces to change its course.

The first operational cruise missile was the German V-1, which had quite primitive propulsion: it kept on a straight-line course, and, when a timer expired, went into a dive that took it into a target -- or the ground. The V-1 did not sense its target, but used the GOLIS principle: go onto location in space.

More modern cruise missiles may use a go onto target paradigm, especially anti-shipping missiles that have a search radar, or anti-radiation missiles that home on a radar or other electromagnetic signal.

Cruise missiles have a variety of warheads, including a single high-explosive (i.e., unitary) or nuclear warhead. They may release various kinds of cluster submunitions, including anti-tank, anti-personnel, chemical or biological weapon dispensers, or carbon filaments to short out electrical systems.

Modern cruise missiles may use inertial or GPS guidance when flying at rellatively high altitude. Some use terrain contour mapping (TERCOM) radar, which literally follows a topographic map, using compass bearings and a radio altimeter.