• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

US Military

  • Branches
    • Army
    • Navy
    • Air Force
    • Marine Corps
    • Coast Guard
    • National Guard
    • Air National Guard
    • Find A Recruiter
  • Find A Recruiter
  • Military Benefits
    • GI Bill
    • VA Loans
    • Military Scholarships
    • Military Friendly Colleges
    • Money
  • Jobs
    • Military Pay Chart
    • Veteran Jobs
    • Civilian Jobs
  • VA Loan Rates
  • Military News
    • Top News
    • Benefits
    • Careers
    • Education
    • Featured Columnists
      • Larry Fowler
      • Scott Ostrow
      • Kim Lengling
      • Dr. Sasha Toperich
      • Rick Stewart
  • USM Shop
  • GI Bill
  • VA Loans
  • Military Scholarships
  • Top Military-Friendly Colleges and Universities in America

How Do Guided Missiles Work and How Does the U.S. Military Stop Them

January 20, 2017 By larryf

How Do Guided Missiles Work and How Does the U.S. Military Stop Them?

In today’s world, modern warfare has taken on the look and feel of a video game. With drones flying in the air and missiles being launched from land and sea, there’s no limit to what a military can do with their weaponry. As technology evolves, it’s clear missiles will play an even larger role in war and defense. With precision-guided missiles being used to hit targets smaller and smaller, the development of their system components has become even more specialized. Using chemical reactions that take place inside a rocket engine or jet engine during propelled flight, missiles have four system components that come into play during flight. Along with the flight system, engine, and warhead, it is the targeting or guidance system that determines whether or not a guided missile has a successful mission. Whether it’s a ballistic missile, cruise missile, or other type of guided missile, there are numerous factors involved not only in how they are powered, but also in how the United States military stops them.

Power Management

When it comes to guided missiles, heavy duty power supplies are used extensively to deliver reliable and accurate performance in the harshest of environments. While many companies worldwide are involved in the production of guided missiles, Abbott Technologies is perhaps best known as the industry leader. Developing high-tech military transformers, the company’s power management solutions are capable of operating at high temperatures for a variety of missile applications. Specifically designed for high-altitude operations, these heavy duty power supplies are encapsulated to withstand vibration, shock, salt spray, and other environmental factors. Whether it’s guided missiles launched from nuclear submarines or a naval destroyer, it’s clear power management solutions such as military transformers play a pivotal role in keeping our nation safe.

Missile Defense Systems

As guided missiles have become a bigger part of modern warfare, various nations have designed missile defense systems in an effort to defend themselves against the possibility of attack. Along with the United States, Russia, and China, France, Israel, and India also have advanced defense systems, enabling them to detect, track, intercept, and destroy incoming missiles from land, sea, and air.

Types of Missile Defense

Because there are various types of guided missiles, defense systems must be able to adapt to changing conditions. With U.S. military missile defense systems, the type of defense mounted depends on a number of factors including the type and range of missiles to be intercepted, when the intercept occurs, and whether it happens inside or outside of Earth’s atmosphere. However, an important point to remember is that in most cases a defense system that’s capable of intercepting one type of missile cannot intercept another type of missile, although today’s technology is beginning to allow for more overlap.

Trajectory Phase

Most guided missiles are intercepted in their trajectory phase, which involves the boost, mid-course, or terminal stage of operations. If a missile is intercepted during the boost stage, most likely it has been intercepted over the launch territory while its rockets are firing. This is viewed as the safest form of intercept by the U.S. military, since it keeps the missile in a limited area and can keep casualties and damage to a minimum. In addition, this offers other advantages. Since the missile is full of propellant at this stage, it’s much more susceptible to explosion, and its rocket exhaust allows it to be detected much quicker. However, the time frame to detect and destroy missiles in this phase is very short, usually no more than three minutes.

Active Layered Missile Defense System

To help protect its NATO allies, the United States military has also developed and put in place an active layered missile defense system. Designed to protect troops from short and medium-range missiles, this system is comprised of many different parts that must all work together to ensure success. Low and high-altitude defenses, including Battle Management Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence, work with early-warning sensors and radar to alert personnel to missile launches, location, and trajectory.

Improving Technology

As this area of military warfare continues to grow even more sophisticated, the United States military is relying on computer simulations more and more to help determine how to improve existing missile defense systems as well as develop new ones. Because one of the biggest problems in missile defense involves being able to differentiate between decoys and the actual missile, much development has focused on allowing sensors that are part of the kinetic kill vehicle to have better recognition capabilities. With the world being full of more threats that ever before, the U.S. military realizes the importance guided missiles and missile defense will play in the years ahead. However, with the many brilliant minds at work on this issue, U.S. citizens and those abroad can feel much safer each and every day.

Author Bio:

Simon Leggett is a mechanical engineer. He has been analysing the auto industry for over 10 years. He helps in the integration and development of forecast-orientated automotive data to the electronic product portfolio.

?

Filed Under: Top News

[related_posts_by_tax format="thumbnails" limit_posts="100" image_size="sidebar-thumbnail" public_only="true" posts_per_page="6"]

Primary Sidebar

USMilitary.com Career Guide

Sign up to receive USMilitary.com email updates and to hear what's going on with all military branches!

Featured Columnists

Larry Fowler

Larry Fowler is the publisher of USMilitary.com Network one of America's premier privately owned

Autobiography Compares Living Faithfully With Navy SEAL Training (BUD/S).

Scott Ostrow

Lt Col (Dr.) Scott A. Ostrow retired from the Air Force in September 2005 and has been teaching

Must Read: The Truth About The ASVAB Test Prep From The Man Who Wrote The Book

Kim Lengling

Kim Lengling is a Air Force Veteran whose passion is to help support veterans and their

The Moving Wall: Women Who Paid The Ultimate Price For Their Country

Dr. Sasha Toperich

Dr. Sasha Toperich is the Senior Executive Vice President at Transatlantic Leadership

Sarraj’s Dangerous Dance With Power

Rick Stewart

Rick Stewart is a former United States Air Force Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE)

Announcing American Patriots Unsung Magazine

Nathan B. Nelson

Capt (ret) Nathan B. Nelson is the Director of Military Affairs for the 1st Congressional district

Three Critical Considerations for Every Veteran Prior to Leaving Active Duty

Laquan Daniels

Laquan Daniel is a military recruiting expert with over 17 years of specialized experience in the

Important News For Military Transitioning Veterans

Veteran Buzz

Hire Military Veterans

Which Companies Are Most Likely to Hire Military Veterans?

July 30, 2018 By Ben Ehinger

High-Paying Jobs for Military Veterans

5 High-Paying Jobs for Military Veterans

July 2, 2018 By Ben Ehinger

High Paying Jobs Not Requiring a Degree

June 28, 2018 By Ben Ehinger

Footer

  • Advertise With Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Write For US
  • Link to Us

Recent

  • A Few Benefits You May Not be Aware of As a Military Child
  • Experts Predict Artificial Intelligence Will Transform Warfare
  • Autobiography Compares Living Faithfully With Navy SEAL Training (BUD/S).
  • The Unraveled Pandemic Of Navy SEAL Posers
  • Apache Attack Helicopter Pilot: To Maintain a Watchful Eye, “Above the Best”

Search

© Copyright 2021 USMillitary
Web Design by Goebel Media Group


THIS IS A PRIVATE WEBSITE THAT IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, U.S. ARMED FORCES, OR DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. U.S. GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAVE NOT REVIEWED THIS INFORMATION. THIS SITE IS NOT CONNECTED WITH ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY.

​Tips
Discounts
News

​

​

Join the USMilitary.com Newsletter Today!

By subscribing you agree to our terms & conditions

x