missileguidance

Missile guidance refers to the methods and systems used to steer a missile to its target. This process is crucial for ensuring accuracy and effectiveness, especially for long-range or complex engagements. Guidance systems can be broadly categorized into active, semi-active, and passive, depending on how they acquire and track the target.

Active guidance systems have their own seeker that illuminates the target and tracks the reflected energy. Semi-active guidance requires an external source, such as a radar or laser, to illuminate the target, and the missile's seeker then homes in on this illumination. Passive guidance systems detect energy emitted by the target itself, such as heat or radar signals.

Common guidance techniques include command guidance, where the missile is controlled from a remote source; homing guidance, where the missile actively tracks the target; and beam-riding guidance, where the missile follows a beam of energy directed at the target. Inertial navigation systems (INS) and Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) like GPS are also frequently used, often in combination, to provide positional and directional information to the missile.

The accuracy of a missile's guidance system is often described by its circular error probable (CEP), which is the radius of a circle within which 50% of the missiles are expected to impact. Advancements in missile guidance continue to focus on improving accuracy, countermeasure resistance, and the ability to engage moving or elusive targets.