TABLE OF CONTENTS In Chapters 2 through 4 we discussed short-range tactical missiles. These missiles are of the surface-to-air, air-to-air, and air-to-ground (or surface) variety. Combat aircraft, for example, are fitted with airborne weapons, which can be launched against enemy aircraft, enemy ground forces, or strategic targets deep inside enemy territory. Ground-based missile systems have various range capabilities from a few miles to several thousand miles. These ground-based missiles are ballistic or nonballistic types, depending on their mission requirements. The short-range guided missiles discussed in Chapters 2 through 4 are usually mobile so that they may be transported easily and quickly to locations where they are most needed.
Very long range guided missiles require large fuel supplies and extremely complex guidance and control systems. These missiles are usually stored within specific and specially designed areas. Later-generation ballistic missiles are designed for underground hardened-site storage to be launched as retaliatory measures in the event of attack by missiles from an unfriendly nation. Certain of these larger ballistic missiles have been integrated with space vehicle systems. In these cases, the guided missile has been used for the booster and sustainer stages to carry vehicles into outer space. The guided missile possesses many, if not all, of the desirable characteristics that are predominant in aerospace forces. These are as follows: (1) range, (2) mobility, (3) speed, (4) firepower delivery, (5) penetration, and (6) flexibility.
This chapter presents various methods of missile guidance for long-range strategic missiles. These guidance systems include inertial, celestial navigation, and...
