Cruise Missile
A guided weapon that uses aerodynamic lift and a jet engine to fly at low altitude over long distances, navigating autonomously to its target with high precision.
Cruise missiles are self-propelled, self-guided weapons that fly like small unmanned aircraft, using wings for lift and a turbofan or turbojet engine for propulsion. They navigate using a combination of inertial guidance, GPS satellite positioning, and terrain contour matching, flying at low altitude to avoid radar detection while maintaining precision measured in single-digit meters over ranges that can exceed 2,500 kilometers.
The Tomahawk cruise missile is the most iconic example, having been used extensively by the U.S. military since the Gulf War. Launched from surface ships, submarines, or ground-based launchers, the Tomahawk can strike targets over 1,600 kilometers away with a CEP of less than 10 meters. More modern cruise missiles like the JASSM-ER incorporate stealth features including radar-absorbent materials and shaped airframes to penetrate advanced air defenses.
Cruise missiles have become the weapon of choice for opening strikes against defended targets because they risk no aircrew, can be launched from safe standoff distances, and deliver precision effects at a fraction of the cost of a manned aircraft sortie. Their proliferation to nations and even non-state actors has created a significant defensive challenge for militaries worldwide.
Related Terms
Ballistic Missile
A missile that follows a high arching ballistic trajectory after its rocket motors burn out, traveling through the upper atmosphere or space before descending on its target.
ALCM(Air-Launched Cruise Missile)
An Air-Launched Cruise Missile is a long-range precision weapon carried and released by an aircraft, using jet propulsion and guidance systems to strike distant targets.
Related Articles
The Tomahawk Cruise Missile: 40 Years of Precision Engineering
Since its combat debut in the 1991 Gulf War, the Tomahawk cruise missile has been the weapon that opens every American military campaign. It is launched from ships and submarines, flies at low altitude for over 1,000 miles, and strikes with GPS-guided precision, all without risking a pilot. Over 2,300 Tomahawks have been fired in combat across seven conflicts. The Block V variant adds a maritime strike capability that can hit moving ships at sea, transforming the Tomahawk from a land-attack weapon into a true multi-role missile.
The JASSM Cruise Missile: The Stealthy Standoff Weapon
The AGM-158 JASSM is a stealth cruise missile that gives fighter jets the ability to destroy heavily defended targets from 575 miles away, without ever entering the enemy's air defense envelope. At roughly $1.3 million per missile, it costs less than a Tomahawk and is harder to shoot down. Over 5,000 have been ordered, making it the backbone of American standoff strike.