In the modern day theatre of combat,
the need to be able to strike at targets that are on the opposite side of the
globe has strongly presented itself. This had led to the development of various
types of guided missiles. These guided missiles are self -guiding weapons
intended to maximize damage to the target while minimizing collateral damage.
The buzzword in modern day combat is fire and forgets. GPS guided missiles,
using the exceptional navigational and surveying abilities of GPS, after being
launched, could deliver a warhead to any part of the globe via the interface
pof the onboard computer in the missile with the GPS satellite system.
Under this principle many modern day
laser weapons were designed. Laser guided missiles use a laser of a certain
frequency bandwidth to acquire their target. GPS/inertial weapons are oblivious
to the effects of weather, allowing a target to be engaged at the time of the
attacker's choosing. GPS allows accurate targeting of various military weapons
including ICBMs, cruise missiles and precision-guided munitions . Artillery
projectiles with embedded GPS receivers able to withstand accelerations of
12,000 G have been developed for use in 155 mm. GPS signals can also be
affected by multipathissues, where the radio signals reflect off surrounding
terrain; buildings, canyon walls, hard ground , etc. These delayed signals can
cause inaccuracy. A variety of techniques, most notably narrow correlator
spacing , have been developed to mitigate multipath errors. Multipath effects
are much less severe in moving vehicles. When the GPS antenna is moving, the
false solutions using reflected signals quickly fail to converge and only the
direct signals result in stable solutions. The multiple independently targeted
re-entry vehicles (MIRVs) – ICBMs with many sub-missiles – were developed in
the late 1960s. The cruise missile has wings like an airplane, making it ca
pable of flying at low altitudes. In summary, GPS-INS guided weapons are not
affected by harsh weather conditions or restricted by a wire, nor do they leave
the gunner vulnerable for attack. GPS guided weapons, with their technological
advances over previous, are the superior weapon of choice in modern day
warfare.
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