missile
A missile is an airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight aided usually by a propellant, jet engine or rocket motor.
Historically, 'missile' referred to any projectile that is thrown, shot or propelled towards a target; this ...
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bomb
A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechan ...
s which may be launched from a distance sufficient to allow attacking personnel to evade the effect of the weapon or defensive fire from the target area. Typically, they are used against land- and sea-based targets in an offensive operation. The name is derived from their ability to engage the target while standing off outside the range at which the defenders are likely to engage the attacker. Typical stand-off weapons include
cruise missile
A cruise missile is an unmanned self-propelled guided missile that sustains flight through aerodynamic lift for most of its flight path. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large payload over long distances with high precision. Modern cru ...
short-range ballistic missile
A short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) is a ballistic missile with a range of to . In past and potential regional conflicts, these missiles have been and would be used because of the short distances between some countries and their relative low c ...
s.
Standoff missiles belong to the larger class of ranged weapons and are complemented by the Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW), a missile with a shorter range that is fired by an aircraft after penetrating enemy airspace.
nuclear missile
Nuclear weapons delivery is the technology and systems used to place a nuclear weapon at the position of detonation, on or near its target. All nine nuclear states have developed some form of medium- to long-range delivery system for their nuc ...
AGM-86 ALCM
The AGM-86 ALCM is an American Aerodynamics#Incompressible aerodynamics, subsonic air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) built by Boeing and operated by the United States Air Force. This missile was developed to increase the effectiveness and surviv ...
BrahMos
The BrahMos (also designated as PJ-10) Babur
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B61 nuclear bomb
The B61 nuclear bomb is the primary thermonuclear weapon, thermonuclear gravity bomb in the United States Enduring Stockpile following the end of the Cold War. It is a low-to-intermediate yield strategic nuclear weapon, strategic and tactical nuc ...
Takbir
The ''takbīr'' (, , ) is the name for the Arabic phrase ' (, , ).Wensinck, A.J., "Takbīr", in: Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition, Edited by: P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel, W.P. Heinrichs. Consulted online on 09 ...
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Barq
Barq (, "lightning") is a laser-guided air-to-surface missile developed by Pakistan. It has a range of and weight of .
Operational history
The missile was unveiled on 13 March 2015 being fired from the NESCOM Burraq unmanned combat aer ...
Joint Strike Missile
The Joint Strike Missile (JSM) is a multi-role, air-launched cruise missile under development by the Norwegian company Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and American company Raytheon Missiles & Defense. The JSM is derived from the Naval Strike Mis ...
(JSM)
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Raduga Kh-20
The Raduga Kh-20 (NATO reporting name: AS-3 Kangaroo) was an air launched cruise missile armed with a thermonuclear warhead which was developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The Kh-20 was designed to be air-launched.
Background
Kh-20 ...
Raduga Kh-55
The Kh-55 (, also known as RKV-500; NATO reporting name: AS-15 "Kent") is a Soviet Union, Soviet/Russian subsonic air-launched cruise missile, designed by MKB Raduga in the 1970s. It has a range of up to and can carry thermonuclear weapon, nu ...
Armement Air-Sol Modulaire
The AASM (), also known as AASM Hammer ("Hammer" standing for "Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range"), is a French, all-weather, precision-guided munition, smart air-to-surface stand-off weapon developed by Safran Electronics & Defense. M ...
saturation attack
A saturation attack or swarm attack is a military tactic in which the attacking side hopes to gain an advantage by swarming and overwhelming the defending side's technological, physical and mental ability to respond effectively. During the Cold W ...
on Israel on 13–14 April 2024, with over 320 weapons launched. Breakdown included 170 suicide drones, 120
ballistic missile
A ballistic missile is a type of missile that uses projectile motion to deliver warheads on a target. These weapons are powered only during relatively brief periods—most of the flight is unpowered. Short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM) typic ...
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cruise missile
A cruise missile is an unmanned self-propelled guided missile that sustains flight through aerodynamic lift for most of its flight path. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large payload over long distances with high precision. Modern cru ...