A missile is
a rocket-propelled weapon designed to deliver an explosive warhead with
accuracy and speed. A bomb is simply a warhead, and once
released, is completely governed by the laws of ballistics, meaning that the only force that acts upon it
after it is released is the force of gravity. If we attach any type of
propulsion system to a bomb, it becomes a rocket. Because of its
means of propulsion, a rocket can travel farther and faster than a bomb. If
guided and control mechanism is attached to a rocket, it becomes a missile,
which can be further classified into various ways. The classification can be
based on origin and target, such as surface-to-surface missile (SSM),
air-to-surface missile (ASM) etc. Ot it can be classified on the basis of
the working principle - or of their purpose- like strategic and tactical
missiles.