missil

Missil is a term used in several languages for a guided, self-propelled munition designed to deliver a warhead to a target. In English, the standard term is missile, but the underlying concept is shared across languages: a vehicle that launches, then uses onboard guidance to steer toward a target.

A missile comprises several key elements. The airframe provides shape and stability; propulsion powers the flight, using solid or liquid propellants or, in some cruise missiles, a jet or turbofan engine. The guidance and control system determines the flight path, often combining inertial navigation, satellite navigation, and terminal seekers such as radar or infrared sensors. The warhead is the payload, which may be explosive, penetrating, or specialized (for example, penetration or fragmentation types). Fuzing mechanisms determine when the warhead detonate.

Missiles are commonly classified by their flight profile and range. Ballistic missiles follow a suborbital arc, powered mainly at launch, and are grouped by range from short to intercontinental. Cruise missiles fly with propulsion throughout and can maneuver at low altitudes to avoid defenses. Launch platforms vary, including ground-based launchers, aircraft, ships, and submarines.

Guidance technologies have evolved from basic inertial systems to integrated solutions that use satellite navigation, radar, infrared, and electro-optical sensing. Missiles play a central role in modern military strategy, defense planning, and arms control discussions, with ongoing advances in propulsion, navigation, and countermeasure resistance.