ABSTRACT
Guided Missiles are expensive items, usually manufactured to higher standards than other ordnance categories. Missiles incorporate quality materials such as lightweight, yet durable aluminum and titanium parts, thermal power sources, complex electronics, and utmost craftsmanship are good indicators of a guided missile, or missile components. As with all ordnance categories and groups, missile fuzing is usually designed to require three or more actions to arm, which coincide with the means of deployment. While General Douhet’s comments 100 years ago referred primarily to chemical and aerial warfare, they apply to the advanced guidance systems of highly sophisticated Guided Missile systems. Guided missile is a rocket system enhanced with a guidance section or brain capable of target selection and steerable surfaces providing an ability to change trajectory during flight. Guided missiles are composed of multiple components, and while the definitions provided for nose, ogive, bourrelet, and base apply; the following components are also prevalent and important.
