Difference between Cruise, Ballistic, Hypersonic, Supersonic Missiles

The term sonic is related to the speed of sound

The term "hypersonic" means speeds at least five times faster than the speed of sound.

Missiles that travel slower than sound are known as "subsonic,"

And those that travel one to five times faster than sound are called "supersonic.

Cruise Missile

It is a guided, terrestrial, and short-range missile with moderate payload capacity.

Cruise Missile

Unlike ballistic missiles, cruise ones never leave the atmosphere. Since its self-propelled the target can be altered mid-flight.

Ballistic Missile

Any missile is called Ballistic when the trajectory it follows is ballistic. Like a large arc up and back down again.

Ballistic Missile

They go out of atmosphere and then come back down the earth using gravity

They have long to very long range. But they are less precise than Cruise missiles.

All Intercontinental Missiles are Ballistic Missiles

They can carry heavy to very heavy payloads - both conventional and Nuclear

Unlike Cruise Missiles, they can carry more than one payload.

Targeting multiple locations with one missile.

This technology is called MIRV (Multiple Independently targetable Re-entry Vehicle)

The only countries to have operational intercontinental ballistic missiles include Russia, the United States, China, France, India, North Korea and the United Kingdom