Cruise missile

A guided missile that flies most of its route through the atmosphere, typically using aerodynamic lift and an onboard engine. It can follow a programmed or updated route toward a target.

Turbofan: An air-breathing jet engine that uses a large fan to produce thrust efficiently. Many long-range cruise missiles use compact turbofans to sustain subsonic flight.
Ballistic missile: A missile that follows a largely unpowered ballistic trajectory after its powered ascent. Its high, arcing flight contrasts with a cruise missile's sustained atmospheric flight.
Land-attack cruise missile: A cruise missile designed to strike targets on land. It is the principal mission category for attacks against fixed or selected land targets.
Radar: A system that detects objects by transmitting radio waves and analyzing their echoes. Low flight can limit radar line of sight and shorten the time available for detection.
Aerial Target: A British pilotless aircraft developed during the First World War as a potential guided weapon. It was an early attempt to create an unmanned aircraft weapon resembling a cruise missile in concept.
Inertial navigation system: A navigation system that estimates position and velocity from measurements of motion and orientation. It lets a missile navigate without continuous external signals.
Hypersonic glide vehicle: A vehicle boosted to high speed that then glides through the atmosphere at hypersonic velocity. It glides after boost rather than relying on powered, lift-based cruise for most of its route.
Tomahawk missile: A family of long-range subsonic cruise missiles developed in the United States. It is a widely known example of a sea-launched land-attack cruise missile.
Air defense: Systems and operations intended to detect, track, and defeat attacks from the air. Defenders must detect and engage cruise missiles despite terrain masking and small radar signatures.
Kettering Bug: An experimental U.S. pilotless flying bomb developed during the First World War. Its preset flight distance and expendable airframe anticipated features of later cruise weapons.

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