Gunmissiles

Gunmissiles are a class of munition designed to be fired from a gun but to incorporate missile-like guidance, propulsion, or both, in order to improve range and accuracy beyond conventional unguided artillery rounds. They may be fully guided by onboard control or use semi-active guidance, and many employ an additional propulsion stage after leaving the gun barrel to achieve longer flight or higher speeds.

The concept emerged from efforts to combine artillery firepower with missile-level precision. In practice, several programs have produced gun-launched guided munitions that are routinely described as guided artillery rounds or gun-launched missiles. Notable examples include laser-guided artillery shells such as Copperhead and GPS-guided shells like the M982 Excalibur, both designed to hit targets at greater accuracy than traditional projectiles. More recent efforts have focused on hyper-velocity or boosted gun-launched projectiles, such as the Hyper Velocity Projectile concept, intended to extend range and improve terminal performance for naval and land-based guns.

Design characteristics vary, but common features include a stabilized airframe, a guidance system (GPS/INS, laser, or imaging guidance), and an onboard propulsion stage or a rocket-assisted boost. Guidance systems aim to correct flight path during the ballistic phase and provide precise terminal guidance to the target. The integration of such munitions faces challenges in barrel wear, heat, payload constraints, cost, and complexity, but they offer the potential for extended range, reduced collateral damage, and improved first-shot accuracy.

See also: Excalibur, Copperhead, Hyper Velocity Projectile, guided artillery shell.