A video capturing a cruise missile soaring through the sky has puzzled many viewers online.
If you’re not affiliated with military operations or an enthusiast of modern weaponry, you might find yourself somewhat unfamiliar with cruise missiles.
Despite the wealth of information available on the internet, which has shed light on the workings of various weapons, much about cruise missiles remains a mystery to the general public.
A particular video circulating on social media has sparked curiosity among Reddit users.
Recently shared on the interestingasf*** subreddit, this video shows a cruise missile zipping through the air, seemingly filmed by a nearby aircraft.
The aircraft and missile move at comparable speeds, creating an illusion where the missile appears almost stationary.
This unusual sight has prompted many to question the mechanics of these devices – essentially, how do they operate?
“Maybe a dumb question but how does this extra fancy tube stay in air without wings? I get that it has propulsion from the end but that just pushes it horizontally. What keeps it up?” one user inquired.
This is indeed a valid question, one that might not be easily answered without some research.
Before delving into that, it’s important to define what exactly a cruise missile is.
According to howstuffworks: “A cruise missile is basically a small, pilotless airplane. Cruise missiles have an 8.5-foot wingspan, are powered by turbofan engines, and can fly 500 to 1,000 miles, depending on its configuration.”
“A cruise missile’s job in life is to deliver a 1,000-pound (450-kg) high-explosive bomb to a precise location — the target. The missile is destroyed when the bomb explodes.”
Regarding its ability to stay aloft, cruise missiles have sufficiently large wings that provide lift, and they utilize propulsion at their tail to glide towards their destination.
If you look closely, the wings can be faintly seen in the cruise missile video. The design suggests it might be an Indian Nirbhay cruise missile.
Cruise missiles are particularly advantageous in warfare due to their capability to fly at low altitudes and elude radar detection.
Moreover, they boast impressive precision by using a combination of GPS, inertial guidance, and terrain contour matching (TERCOM) for navigation.