Cruise Missile
Cruise missile is a guided missile that has a terrain-following radar system, and that flies at moderate speed and low altitude [Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary].
A cruise missile is a small, pilotless airplane. Cruise missiles have an 8.5-foot (2.61-meter) wingspan, are powered by turbofan engines, and can fly 500 to 1,000 miles (805 to 1,610 km) depending on the configuration.
A cruise missile's job 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. Cruise missiles come in variations and can be launched from submarines, destroyers, or aircraft.
Cruise missiles are 20 feet (6.25 meters) long and 21 inches (0.52 meters) in diameter. At launch, they include a 550-pound (250-kg) solid rocket booster and weigh 3,200 pounds (1450 kg).
The booster falls away once it has burned its fuel. The wings, tail fins, and air inlet unfold, and the turbofan engine takes over.
This engine weighs just 145 pounds (65 kg) and produces 600 pounds of thrust-burning RJ4 fuel. At launch, the fuel load is 800 to 1,000 pounds (about 450 kg) or approximately 150 gallons (600 liters). The missile has a cruising speed of 550 mph.
The hallmark of a cruise missile is its incredible accuracy. A common statement about the cruise missile is, "It can fly 1,000 miles and hit a target the size of a single-car garage." Cruise missiles are also very effective at evading detection by the enemy because they fly very low to the ground (out of the view of most radar systems) [HowStuffWorks].
Cruise missile. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary. Retrieved from: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cruise%20missile
How Cruise Missiles Work. HowStuffWorks. Retrieved from: https://science.howstuffworks.com/cruise-missile.htm