Structure of Military Rockets

Click here for the history of military rockets.

            Today, most rockets (missiles) have guidance chips built into them. These guidance chips help the missile hit its target with tremendous precision. One of the examples of today’s missiles is the Aim-9 (Air Intercept Missile 9) Sidewinder. It is classified as a short-range, air-to-air missile.

There are 9 parts to the Sidewinder missile: rocket motor, rear stabilizing wings, seeker, guidance control electronics, control actuation section, flight fins, warhead, fuse system, and the battery.  

• The rocket motor provides the thrust for the missile, while the rear stabilizing wings provide the necessary lift to keep the missile in the air.

• The guidance control electronics process the information to the control actuation section, where the flight fins near the nose of the missile adjust based on the information of the target.

• The wings, or flight fins, steer the missile into its target.

• The warhead itself is the explosive device that actually destroys the target, while the fuse system detonates the warhead when the missile hits the target.

• The battery provides power to the missile and all of its components.

• The Aim-9 Sidewinder has an advanced heat-seeking guidance system. This seeker locks on the the thermal signature of an aircraft's engines and follows it until the distance is small enough that a detonation will prove fatal to the target aircraft.