"Cruise" or "portable missiles" are characterized by amazing accuracy, have more than one model, and depend in their selection and performance on the type of mission not along the range, and can be launched from the sea, land or air, and fly at low altitudes, which reduces the chance of detection from radars.
The development of cruise missiles began in the last century, and the first to start manufacturing them were the Soviet Union and the United States, and they are owned in 2023 by several countries, including Britain, France, Ukraine and Iran, and other countries are seeking to develop them.
The beginning of cruise missiles
Cruise missiles are an evolution of drones, to become programmed and self-propelled guided missiles, and its scientific name "cruise" translates into Arabic as "portable missile", a ballistic missile whose speed in the air is relatively stable.
Strategic cruise missiles are low-flying, and the German V-1 used in World War II was a precursor to the "portable missile."
The development of cruise missiles began in the sixties and seventies of the last century by the Soviet Union and the United States, and was designed to be capable of carrying a nuclear or conventional warhead.
In the eighties of the last century, 3 major versions were manufactured in the United States, all of which were single-phase and operated by jet propulsion at a speed of 885 kilometers per hour.
The U.S. cruise missiles weigh between 1200,1800 and <>,<> kilograms and are guided through an in-flight navigation system with a technology called Tercom, which uses maps stored in the system's calculated memory.
Cruise missiles are the U.S. weapon of choice for fast strike operations.
The Soviet Union produced a series of sea, air and land-based cruise missiles, which may reach a length of 7 meters and a range of about 3,<> km.
Cruise missiles cost between $500,<> and $<> million each, and can fly a thousand miles and hit a garage-sized target.
The mechanism of action of cruise missiles
Cruise missiles are powered by turbofan engines, and their main function is to deliver high-explosive bombs to designated targets, which can weigh up to 450 kilograms.
Missiles can be fired from submarines, planes, or destroyers, Tomahawk missiles are often fired from destroyers, and the turbocharged engine takes over after the fuel burns and the missile booster falls.
The turbocharged engine weighs only 65 kilograms, the fuel payload at launch weighs 450 kilograms (about 600 liters), and the solid rocket booster weighs up to 250 kilograms.
The cruise missile has a very low cross-section, flies at low altitudes, and is effective in avoiding monitoring devices due to its proximity to the ground and high accuracy.
It has 4 different systems that help guide it to its goal, namely:
The cruise missile can be equipped with thermal imaging sensors or lighting devices such as those used in smart bombs.
The majority of advanced versions of cruise missiles are launched from military aircraft remotely, ensuring that they avoid countering defences, and are also used to strike ground targets using conventional warheads, nuclear warheads or hydrogen explosives.
Types of cruise missiles
One of the most prominent types of cruise missiles is the "Shadow of the Storm" missile, developed by Britain and France, and is characterized by its high stealth capabilities, as it is launched from the air with a firing range of more than 250 kilometers.
The Shadow of the Storm missile's range is close to that of the Atacams missile systems, which Ukraine demanded from the United States during the Russian war on Ukraine.
The ELCM aerial cruise missile is about 6 meters long, has a range of 2500,52 kilometers, and is designed for deployment on a B-<> bomber.
Two Tomahawk missiles are classified as part of the cruise family, two long-range missiles owned by the U.S. Navy that can be launched from submarines or surface ships.
One of these types of sea, called SLCM, and the other terrestrial, called GLM, each 6.4 meters long and 53 centimeters in diameter, are each called SLM.
Unlike ballistic missiles, cruise missiles are classified according to mission and launch mode and not based on the distance of range, and the most worrying types are LACM missiles, and this type achieves its goal by going through 3 stages, launch, mid-cycle and then station, and defense against this type of cruise missiles affects air defense systems.
These missiles can hide behind terrain, and the new types have features that make them less visible to radars and infrared detectors, and they may fly with twisted and indirect trajectories.