whats the difference beetween cruise missile and ballistic missile?

Answer 1

Any object launched into the air, if left unvectored (i.e., no planned change in flight path) follows a ballistic trajectory. That includes baseballs, footballs, and cannon shells as well as missles.

Ballistic missiles are large, rocket-powered craft that gyroscopically orient in a particular direction at launch and maintain that direction throughout its flight path. Its flight path is in an arc that is parabolic in relation to both its launch site and its destination. If the flight path were circular, it would be an orbital flight path. At the present, ballistic missiles carry only nuclear warheads in varying yields depending on country of origin, but there are plans in the works to remodel them with deep-penetrator high-explosive warheads (Pop-Sci June '06, if I remember correctly off the top of my head).

Cruise missiles are programmed either with a terrain-following system or use GPS to maintain a particular flight path. They are typically jet-powered (except for several ex-Soviet designs, which are either rocket- or rocket/jet-hybrid), meaning they will only function in the Earth's atmosphere. As part of their design, they have directional fins, which allow them to change their course in-flight (as opposed to ballistic missiles, which are launched without any mid-course guidance). Cruise missiles, while longer-ranged than artillery or traditional bombs, also do not have the range as ballistic missiles.

Answer 2

Cruise Missiles are guided and fly low to the ground, some with jet engines.

Ballistic Missiles follow a flight path going up, and then down, no guidance, direction set at the launch.

Answer 3

Your answer from N3VJA is good enough for a paper on the subject, that boy be smart and the explanation was clear.

I would just add that in the case of a ballistic missile the target is set by the laws of orbital mechanics and the boys and girls who send those babies off know exactly where they are going.

We, in the US and I'm sure in Russia have, for years, had multiple targeted reentry vehicles where say, four separate warheads on one ICBM can strike different targets.

I can't do the math but it's damned impressive!

Answer 4

A balistic missile once launched is not powered. That is what ballistic means.

A cruise missile is under powered flight for it's whole journey.

Answer 5

i ditto joe chica with a couple of additions. ballistic missiles are usually thought of in the area of going from continent to continent whereas cruise missiles are frequently fired from ships or subs at sea. that doesn't quite cover the subject but enough said.

Answer 6

The ballistic missile flies to its objective by way of going up into area and then coming down on a ballistic trajectory. it ought to hold better than one warhead. they are able to be released from the submarines, fastened underground silos, in particular built trains, and particular launch autos referred to as erector launchers. The cruise missile flies to its objective very like an airplane. it ought to apply terrain to conceal from the air defenses alongside the way. The cruise missiles are lot smaller and greater low-value. they are lots greater handy to conceal and could be released from certainly one of those structures: planes, ships, trucks, and submarines. the two kinds have been invented at with regard to the comparable time, throughout the time of the worldwide conflict II in Germany. The Germans used the V-a million flying bomb, that's considered the 1st cruise missile, against London. The V-a million, used very stepped forward technologies for the Forties, yet nevertheless had various drawbacks: its preparation device exchange into primitive, and a brilliant style of crashed into the sea, nicely short of their aims. They have been extremely slow, and flew in a on the instant line, and subsequently they have been undemanding aims for RAF fighters and anti-plane weapons. The launch sites have been fastened, and have been aims for the allied bombing raids. Later variations of V-a million have been adapted to be released from heavy bombers, yet by way of that factor the conflict exchange into all yet over. finally, the allies stepped forward some distance sufficient into continental Europe to push the V-a million out of variety of england. The plans for the V-a million have been additionally transferred to Japan. Japan built a bomber released, piloted version of the V-a million, referred to as the Cherry Blossom, to be utilized in kamikaze assaults against the US ships. some have been used throughout the time of the Okinawa marketing campaign with constrained success, yet by way of that factor, returned it exchange into too overdue. V-2 exchange right into a ballistic missile stepped forward by way of Wernher von Braun and his team. It flew a sub-orbital trajectory to be triumphant in its objective. It exchange into exchange into very erroneous, yet exchange into impossible to intercept with the technologies accessible in 1944. it is why it exchange into used against super cities like London and Antwerp, with the aid of fact they made super aims. the two V-a million and V-2 have been of little no protection stress fee, yet they made solid terror weapons against the civilian inhabitants.