Missile
In general, missile may refer to any thrown or launched object aimed at a target. Nowadays, it means, mostly, a self-propelled guided weapon system.
Missiles are used in war to destroy military targets. Missiles can carry explosives or other destructive loads. The loads a missile may carry are called a "payload". This payload is not always harmful to people: for example in the 1991 Gulf War, missiles were used to launch reels of wire at electric generator stations, causing the power to go out.
Types of missiles [change]
The two main kinds of missiles are simple "rockets" and "guided missiles". A rocket is no longer controlled once it has been launched. A guided missile can be controlled after it has been launched. Some missiles used in anti-aircraft warfare, such as the AIM-9 Sidewinder, guide themselves with temperature.
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