A ballistic missile is a missile that follows a prescribed course that cannot be significantly altered after the missile has burned its fuel (i.e., its course is governed by the law of ballistics). In order to cover large distances, ballistic missiles are usually launched very high into the air or in space.
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A cruise missile is a guided missile which uses a lifting wing and most often a jet propulsion system to allow sustained flight. Cruise missiles are, in essence, unmanned aircraft. They are generally, designed to carry a large conventional or nuclear warhead many hundreds of miles with excellent accuracy. Modern cruise missiles normally travel at subsonic speed, are self-navigating and fly low in order to avoid radar detection.
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