Precision-guided munition

A weapon that uses a guidance system to steer toward a selected target. Its guidance can use external signals, onboard sensors, or both.

Guidance system: A system that directs a vehicle or weapon toward a destination or target. The guidance system supplies the steering logic that makes a munition precision-guided.
Guided bomb: An aircraft-delivered bomb equipped with systems that steer it toward a target. Guided bombs are a common precision munition for attacking fixed or designated targets.
Unguided munition: A weapon that follows a ballistic or other trajectory without active guidance toward a target. Unguided weapons lack the steering system that distinguishes precision-guided munitions.
Revolution in Military Affairs: A theory that technological and organizational change can transform how wars are fought. Precision weapons became a prominent example in arguments about technology-driven military change.
Inertial navigation system: A navigation system that estimates position and motion from measurements of acceleration and rotation. Inertial navigation can guide a munition without relying on continuous external signals.
Joint Direct Attack Munition: A guidance kit that converts unguided bombs into GPS- and inertial-guided weapons. JDAM illustrates how a guidance kit can make existing bombs precision-guided.
Circular error probable: A statistical measure of weapon accuracy: the radius within which half of impacts are expected to fall. CEP quantifies impact dispersion, but does not by itself measure civilian harm or reliability.
Operation Desert Storm: The 1991 US-led military campaign to expel Iraqi forces from Kuwait. Extensive use of guided weapons made the campaign a defining case in precision-strike claims.
Global Positioning System: A satellite-based system that provides positioning, navigation, and timing information. GPS coordinates can guide weapons toward fixed targets, though signals may be disrupted.
Cruise missile: A guided missile that flies through the atmosphere under sustained propulsion toward a target. Cruise missiles combine navigation and guidance throughout a powered flight.

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