Laser guidanceLaser guidance directs a robotics system to a target position by means of a laser beam. The laser guidance of a robot is accomplished by projecting a laser light, image processing and communication to improve the accuracy of guidance. The key idea is to show goal positions to the robot by laser light projection instead of communicating them numerically.
MissileA missile is an airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight aided usually by a propellant, jet engine or rocket engine. Historically, 'missile' referred to any projectile that is thrown, shot or propelled towards a target; this usage is still recognized today with any unguided jet- or rocket-propelled weapons generally described as rocket artillery.
Shell (projectile)A shell, in a modern military context, is a projectile whose payload contains an explosive, incendiary, or other chemical filling. Originally it was called a bombshell, but "shell" has come to be unambiguous in a military context. A shell can hold a tracer.
Unmanned aerial vehicleAircraft without any human pilot on boardA General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper, an unmanned combat aerial vehicle used for both intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) and drone strike missions.Ingenuity is an extraterrestrialautonomous UAV that performed the first powered controlled flight by an aircraft on another planet.DJI Phantom, a small civilian quadcopter designed for commercial and recreational aerial photography.
WeaponA weapon, arm, or armament is any implement or tool that is used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime (e.g., murder), law enforcement, self-defense, warfare, or suicide. In a broader context, weapons may be construed to include anything used to gain a tactical, strategic, material, or mental advantage over an adversary or enemy target.
Global Positioning SystemAmerican satellite-based radio navigation serviceArtist's impression of GPS Block IIIA satellite in Earth orbitLate 1990s civilian GPS receiver ("GPS navigation device") in a marine applicationAutomotive navigation system in a taxicab, 2000sA United States Space Force officer operates the Global Positioning System in 2022.International Terrestrial Reference SystemSpatial Reference System Identifier (SRID)Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM)
Circular error probableCircular error probable (CEP), also circular error probability or circle of equal probability, is a measure of a weapon system's precision in the military science of ballistics. It is defined as the radius of a circle, centered on the aimpoint, that is expected to enclose the landing points of 50% of the rounds; said otherwise, it is the median error radius, which is a 50% confidence interval.
Targeting (warfare)Targeting is the process of selecting objects or installations to be attacked, taken, or destroyed in warfare. Targeting systematically analyzes and prioritizes targets and matches appropriate lethal and nonlethal actions to those targets to create specific desired effects that achieve the joint force commander's (JFC's) objectives, accounting for operational requirements, capabilities, and the results of previous assessments.Control systemA control system manages, commands, directs, or regulates the behavior of other devices or systems using control loops. It can range from a single home heating controller using a thermostat controlling a domestic boiler to large industrial control systems which are used for controlling processes or machines. The control systems are designed via control engineering process.
Infrared search and trackAn Infrared Search and Track (IRST) system (sometimes called infrared sighting and tracking) detects and tracks objects that emit infraredradiation, such as the infrared signatures of jet aircraft and helicopters. Some naval surface vessels, such as the Istanbul-class frigate, are also equipped with IRST. A generalized case of forward-looking infrared (FLIR) systems, IRST systems provide all-around situation awareness.AmmunitionAmmunition, also known as ammo, is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. The term Ammunition includes both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines), and the parts of other weapons that create the effect on a target (e.g., bullets and warheads). The purpose of ammunition is to project a force against a selected target to have an effect (usually, but not always, lethal).
Collateral damage"Collateral damage" is a term for any incidental and undesired death, injury or other damage inflicted, especially on civilians, as the result of an activity. Originally coined to describe military operations, it is now also used in non-military contexts to refer to negative unintended consequences of an action.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.