Why Are They Called "guided Rockets" If They Home Onto Targets?

[Heirophant]

I have long wondered about the term "guided rocket".

 

Someone explain to me again why we don't just call say the 70mm FFAR Hydra ohh, I don't know . . . maybe a "missile".

 

 

The following are examples of colloquial use for battlefield (non-strategic) weapons:

 

Rocket: a projectile that primarily derives its propulsion from a rocket thruster. Usually applied to dumb projectiles.

 

Guided Rocket: A projectile (usually rocket-propelled) that has increased accuracy and precision due to some form of guidance, but which normally targets coordinates on the ground. Ex: Guided MLRS

 

Missile: A projectile (rocket/jet propelled) that actually targets individual, discrete units. Ex. Hellfire, Maverick.

 

 

So, doesn't the homing (laser-guided) 70mm Hydra come closest to being a "missile", not a "guided rocket"?

[JW Collins]

Technically it would be a missile but the guided rocket term is marketing. They want to highlight that it is a guided version of the Hydra, Zuni, whatever, versus something (presumably larger and more expensive) built from the start to be a missile like Hellfire.

Edited October 23, 2015 by JW Collins

[nigelfe]

'Homing' is 'autonomous guidance'.

[Simon Tan]

It is because it can be used withoutxa seeker head as a free rocket.

[Chris Werb]

'Homing' is 'autonomous guidance'.

Not necessarily. SALH = semi active laser homing. Missile homes in on laser spot. SARH = semi active radar homing. Ditto but with target illuminated by radar.

[Olof Larsson]

Another valid question is why guided rockets (Minuteman, Maverick and so on)

and guided "flying bombs" (Harpoon, Tomahawk, AMRAAM and so on) are called only missiles.

 

It's a bit like calling all SPAAG's and SPA's only as "vehicles", but not tanks, MLRS and so on.

 

 

So when did the western world start to use the generic term "missile",

for guided rockets and guided "flying bombs"?

 

Was the term "missile", also used for the early guided bombs?

[shep854]

Most likely because they were indeed simple unguided rockets for most of their history, with guidance a very recent add-on. 'Guided missiles' had guidance included from the original concept.

 

The Russian/Soviet use of 'Rockets' for their ICBMs has always sounded odd to my US-ian ear.

 

It's kind of like 'AK-47'. None have been made for decades, but the term has become generic for that particular pattern.

Edited October 24, 2015 by shep854

[Dawes]

Generally, if it has propulsion and some form of guidance it's a "missile". There are obvious exceptions - AGM-62 Walleye was given the "missile" designation even though it was an unpowered glide weapon.

 

And stick a Shrike rocket motor in the tail of a GBU-16 and it becomes an AGM-123 Skipper II.

[JWB]

Confusion. Rockets are propulsion systems. Missiles are weapons that are projected through air and/or space. Proper terminology could be "rocket powered guided missile".

[DB]

Missile predates guidance, though. A rock is a missile. It's not a guided missile.

 

I suspect that where we are now, calling something a rocket or missile is a distinction that makes no difference.

 

A dictionary definition is clear I think - "missile" and "projectile" are synonyms. The modern usage of "missile" is probably a contraction of "guided missile".

 

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/missile

[Dawes]

In the military sense: Propulsion + payload + guidance system = guided missile

[Simon Tan]

If it is propelled by potential energy (dropped from plane).....is it still a guided missile?

[Olof Larsson]

If it is propelled by potential energy (dropped from plane).....is it still a guided missile?

 

Hence my question if early guided bombs were ever refered to as "missiles" (or rather "guided missiles").

[Dawes]

If it is propelled by potential energy (dropped from plane).....is it still a guided missile?

No. Laser-guided bombs are just, well, laser-guided bombs.

[Guest Charles]

So in essence, a missile has to have its own guidance and independant propulsion?. A rocket has its own independant propulsion. A bomb has neither, but is carried/transported to its target via another means.

Corrections please, should I have erred here.

 

Charles

[Dawes]

There are exceptions, but that's generally accurate.