What is the difference between missiles and torpedoes

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You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly. You should upgrade or use an alternative browser. Torpeoes V Missiles. Thread starter. Start date Nov 10, In the X-Wing and TIE Figher series of space flight simulation games, concussion missiles were the fastest and most agile warhead, while torpedoes were much slower and less maneuverable, but packed significantly bigger punch.

The limited power of concussion missiles meant they were only useful against enemy starfighters, while the limited maneuverability of proton torpedoes meant they were only useful against large, slow-moving targets such as capital ships and space stations.

Star Trek probably referred to them as torpedoes because of the naval connotation. The structure of Starfleet is more analogous to a navy; Starfleet's ranks are naval ranks e.

A missile is a projectile rocket propelled by combustion product reaction with a guidance package to steer and traverse to it's destination. So a proton torpedo is likely propelled using the same means as the ship that fires it.

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Asked 4 years, 2 months ago. Active 1 year, 6 months ago. Viewed 7k times. Improve this question. You're missing a subtlety in the difference between missiles and rockets. A missile powered or unpowered is a weapon, it's something you aim at a target. A rocket is something that accelerates generally upwards very quickly by combusting it's own fuel. So, a rocket is a rocket whether guided or unguided , until you aim it at something, then it's a missile.

I have no idea if there is a reason for naming some Star Wars weapons torpedoes and others missiles. I do want to point out that while on present day Earth we use "torpedo" only for aquatic weapons, there is some logic to using the same term for weapons fired by ships that are part of the Imperial Navy. BinaryWorrier That may be so but in the military context, when it comes to weapons, a rocket goes straight once fired.

It is unguided, whereas missiles contain a targeting system to guide itself to an acquired target. That's mainly how the two, as weapons, are differentiated on Earth as far as I am aware. Hothie I wouldn't be surprised if it's just to sound cool tbh.

Would love to hear what's the answer though, however lame it is. It seems you're missing how the projectiles do their damage. Of the weapons you named, the torpedoes must strike the target to inflict damage. But the missiles can do damage with proximity bursts, like many of the air-to-air missiles employed by the American Air Force, which explode near a target, sending shrapnel to shred the flight surfaces, effectively downing the aircraft.

Show 9 more comments. Active Oldest Votes. Changing my comment to an answer as it pretty much answers the question. The definition of "torpedo" Looking up the definition of the word "torpedo" nets the following result: A cigar-shaped self-propelled underwater missile designed to be fired from a ship or submarine or dropped into the water from an aircraft and to explode on reaching a target In other words, a torpedo is nothing more than a missile that's designed to travel in water, rather than through the air.

But why do they call some space missiles torpedoes? I won't list all examples that's what the link is for , but some do stand out as commonly accepted space tropes: Space militaries almost always use naval ranks, as opposed to army ranks or the RAF system, and soldiers stationed in space are usually called "marines", e. Starship Troopers did not call its soldiers marines though it could be argued that it established the archetype for later space marine forces.

Even in real life, space explorers are called "astronauts" and "cosmonauts". Spacecraft even have "lifeboats"—generally called escape pods or something similar—despite the concept being largely impractical in case of realistic space travel.

In space, hovering things have to move up and down slightly. Note: this refers to making the scene believable for the viewer, rather than being physically sound It even makes more sense when you compare submarines not just boats to spaceships: Both move in three dimensional space.

Prolonged exposure to space or water Visual displays of the outside environment are less than useless both space and the briny deep are inky black. The torpedo analogy works better as well. Mankind has advanced its weaponry to match the modern-day era of military battle and war. Rocket launchers are a type of readily carried firearm that designated soldiers will use in the combat zone. The rocket launcher is a shoulder-fired weapon, also known to be used as an anti-tank weapon.

A rocket Pod consists of multiple rocket launchers that are designed to be used by aircrafts for airstrike assaults. For large-scale attacks, rocket artillery was constructed. The artillery rocket itself does not have in-built guidance or target systems and is therefore not technically a missile.

Missiles are designed to carry explosives, with control and precision, to a designated target and at high speeds. Missiles are rocket-propelled weapons but because of their enhanced built-in technology, they are far more advanced than rockets for military uses. Missiles were developed and manufactured by the Germans in World War 2.

They are controlled by wireless remote controls and are only used for military purposes, as opposed to rockets that are used for entertainment, space travel, military uses, and more. The guided system in a missile is used to adjust and stabilize the flight path. An operator, or pilot, guides the missile to the intended target to ensure superior accuracy. The warhead part of the missile is the bomb.

It can be explosive or toxic, either way, it is delivered by the missile to an exact target location for the explosion. The warhead can be detonated by several options, depending on how the missile was designed. From physical target detonation to remote detonation operated by a military service member, among other options that you can read more about here.

Missiles are designed to be powered by a type of engine, usually a rocket engine or in some cases, a jet engine. Target accuracy is critical to the missile doing what it was designed to do.

The targeting system and the guidance system work together with radars and satellites, to determine the target and fly the missile truly to its mark. There are multiple types of missiles used for military purposes, and each of these missile types has various other missiles listed under them.

You can see all of them here for further information. A self-propelled, airborne weapon, typically used for short-range fire within the immediate battle zone. Cruise missiles are long-range missiles. They carry warheads over vast distances, with the assistance of their in-built guided system.