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25-414: Through the ages firepower has come to mean offensive power applied from a distance, thus involving ranged weapons as opposed to one-on-one close quarters combat . Firepower is thus something employed to keep enemy forces at a range where they can be defeated in detail or sapped of the will to continue. In the field of naval artillery , the weight of a broadside was long used as a figure of merit of

50-477: A directed-energy weapon (which does not involve any tangible projectile) are also ranged weapons. In contrast, a weapon intended to be used in hand-to-hand combat is called a melee weapon. Ranged weapons give the attacker an advantage (especially when performing an ambush ) because the target is often getting hit from beyond immediate visual range, therefore making it more difficult for the defenders to react and hit back effectively. It also puts distance between

75-484: A warship 's firepower. The earliest forms of warfare that might be called firepower were the slingers of ancient armies (a notable example being the biblical story of David ), and archers . Eventually, the feared Huns employed the composite bow and light cavalry tactics to shower arrows on the enemy forces, a tactic that also appeared in a less mobile form in Britain, with its famed longbowmen , used during

100-439: A combination of these mechanisms. Railguns utilize electromagnetic fields to provide a constant acceleration along the entire length of the device, greatly increasing the muzzle velocity . Some projectiles provide propulsion during flight by means of a rocket engine or jet engine . In military terminology, a rocket is unguided, while a missile is guided . Note the two meanings of "rocket" (weapon and engine): an ICBM

125-754: A ranged weapon can also be used as a melee weapon in close encounters , such as the buttstock of a rifle used for butt-stroking , a rifle with a bayonet fixed to the front end used as an improvised spear, a handgun used for pistol-whipping , and even an arrow being used as a hand pick in desperate situations. Early ranged weapons often included specifically designed hand-thrown weapons such as darts , javelins , slings , as well as elastic weapons such as slingshots , bows and crossbows ; and more complex siege engines like stone throwers , catapults , ballistas and trebuchets . These ranged weapons were extremely effective in ancient and early medieval warfare , especially when used en masse , as they gave

150-687: A specific angle θ {\displaystyle \theta } : 1. Time to reach maximum height. It is symbolized as ( t {\displaystyle t} ), which is the time taken for the projectile to reach the maximum height from the plane of projection. Mathematically, it is given as t = U sin ⁡ θ / g {\displaystyle t=U\sin \theta /g} where g {\displaystyle g} = acceleration due to gravity (app 9.81 m/s²), U {\displaystyle U} = initial velocity (m/s) and θ {\displaystyle \theta } = angle made by

175-508: Is a projectile weapon based solely on a projectile's kinetic energy to inflict damage to a target, instead of using any explosive , incendiary / thermal , chemical or radiological payload . All kinetic weapons work by attaining a high flight speed — generally supersonic or even up to hypervelocity — and collide with their targets, converting their kinetic energy and relative impulse into destructive shock waves , heat and cavitation . In kinetic weapons with unpowered flight ,

200-429: Is a guided missile with a rocket engine. An explosion, whether or not by a weapon, causes the debris to act as multiple high velocity projectiles. An explosive weapon or device may also be designed to produce many high velocity projectiles by the break-up of its casing; these are correctly termed fragments . In projectile motion the most important force applied to the ‘projectile’ is the propelling force, in this case

225-415: Is also used both tactically and strategically in the form of long-range artilleries , rockets , guided missiles , and unmanned aerial vehicles (aka drones) . The maximum effective range of a weapon is the greatest distance from which the weapon can be fired while still consistently inflicting casualties or damage. When a modern missile can be launched from beyond the effective range of counterattack, it

250-745: Is an object that is propelled by the application of an external force and then moves freely under the influence of gravity and air resistance . Although any objects in motion through space are projectiles, they are commonly found in warfare and sports (for example, a thrown baseball , kicked football , fired bullet , shot arrow , stone released from catapult ). In ballistics mathematical equations of motion are used to analyze projectile trajectories through launch, flight , and impact . Blowguns and pneumatic rifles use compressed gases, while most other guns and cannons utilize expanding gases liberated by sudden chemical reactions by propellants like smokeless powder . Light-gas guns use

275-470: Is any weapon that can engage targets beyond hand-to-hand distance, i.e. at distances greater than the physical reach of the user holding the weapon itself. The act of using such a weapon is also known as shooting . It is sometimes also called projectile weapon or missile weapon because it typically works by launching solid projectiles ("missiles"), though technically a fluid -projector (which throws out pressurized streams of liquid or even gas ) and

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300-442: Is termed a standoff missile . Most modern projectile weapons fall into the broader category of either direct fire or indirect fire , with the former often being regarded as guns and the latter as artillery . While some are small and light enough to be operated by individuals (i.e. small arms and grenade launchers ), most require a team of individuals to service, maneuver and operate. Projectile A projectile

325-433: Is the maximum height attained by the projectile OR the maximum displacement on the vertical axis (y-axis) covered by the projectile. It is given as H = U 2 sin 2 ⁡ θ / 2 g {\displaystyle H=U^{2}\sin ^{2}\theta /2g} . 4. Range ( R {\displaystyle R} ): The Range of a projectile is the horizontal distance covered (on

350-496: The 2003 Invasion of Iraq , but firepower was integrated with advances in small-unit training. Small arms , such as the M249 SAW , have been employed on a squad level to provide an overwhelming volume of fire in relatively close quarters situations (within 100–300 yds). The idea is that a large volume of accurate suppressive fire will immobilize the enemy, degrading their ability to perform. In addition, grenade launchers such as

375-497: The M79 , and particularly those that can be underslung on an assault rifle, such as the M203 or M320 , are used to provide units with a disproportionate amount of firepower. These weapons are useful in situations where a unit is outnumbered and needs to respond immediately with fire superiority, such as in an ambush by forces not similarly equipped. Ranged weapon A ranged weapon

400-724: The muzzle velocity or launch velocity often determines the effective range and potential damage of the kinetic projectile. Kinetic weapons are the oldest and most common ranged weapons used in human history , with the projectiles varying from blunt projectiles such as rocks and round shots , pointed missiles such as arrows , bolts , darts , and javelins , to modern tapered high-velocity impactors such as bullets , flechettes , and penetrators . Typical kinetic weapons accelerate their projectiles mechanically (by muscle power , mechanical advantage devices , elastic energy or pneumatics ) or chemically (by propellant combustion , as with firearms ), but newer technologies are enabling

425-474: The attacker and the opponent, which is a safer combat option since the close physical contact during melee fights often puts the attacker within the immediate striking range of enemy counterattacks and thus at an equal risk of getting hurt or killed. The line between ranged and melee weapons is not entirely definite; for instance, spears , axes , daggers , and knives can be used for both throwing and hand-to-hand combat, depending on purpose and situation, and

450-408: The development of potential weapons using electromagnetically launched projectiles, such as railguns , coilguns and mass drivers . There are also concept weapons that are accelerated by gravity , as in the case of kinetic bombardment weapons designed for space warfare . Some projectiles stay connected by a cable to the launch equipment after launching it: An object projected at an angle to

475-481: The horizontal has both the vertical and horizontal components of velocity. The vertical component of the velocity on the y-axis is given as V y = U sin ⁡ θ {\displaystyle V_{y}=U\sin \theta } while the horizontal component of the velocity is V x = U cos ⁡ θ {\displaystyle V_{x}=U\cos \theta } . There are various calculations for projectiles at

500-459: The introduction of firearms, with technical improvements that have, with some exceptions, diminished the effectiveness of fortification . Such improvements made close order formation useless for middle to late 19th century infantry, and the use of machine guns early in the 20th stymied frontal assaults . Military uniforms changed from gaudy to drab, making soldiers less visible to the increasing firepower. At sea, improved naval artillery ended

525-447: The projectile with the horizontal axis. 2. Time of flight ( T {\displaystyle T} ): this is the total time taken for the projectile to fall back to the same plane from which it was projected. Mathematically it is given as T = 2 U sin ⁡ θ / g {\displaystyle T=2U\sin \theta /g} . 3. Maximum Height ( H {\displaystyle H} ): this

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550-648: The propelling forces are the muscles that act upon the ball to make it move, and the stronger the force applied, the more propelling force, which means the projectile (the ball) will travel farther. See pitching , bowling . Many projectiles, e.g. shells , may carry an explosive charge or another chemical or biological substance. Aside from explosive payload, a projectile can be designed to cause special damage, e.g. fire (see also early thermal weapons ), or poisoning (see also arrow poison ). A kinetic energy weapon (also known as kinetic weapon, kinetic energy warhead, kinetic warhead, kinetic projectile, kinetic kill vehicle)

575-490: The use of prize crews , and naval aviation brought an end to heavily armored battleships . The use of firepower in achieving military objectives became one of several conflicting schools of military thought, or doctrines. The Battle of Vimy Ridge used massed artillery to help win an Allied victory, but dramatic improvements in siege weapon technology had also gone hand in hand with small scale infantry tactics . Operation Desert Storm also relied on massed firepower as did

600-671: The various Anglo-French conflicts collectively known as the Hundred Years' War during the Middle Ages . The Battle of Crécy is often thought of as the beginning of the "age of firepower" in the west, where missile weapons enabled a small force to defeat a numerically superior enemy without the need for single combat. Firepower was later used to dramatic effect in a similar fashion during the Battle of Agincourt . Firepower of military units large and small has steadily increased since

625-409: The wielder an opportunity to launch multiple rounds of attack before an enemy armed with melee weapons or shorter-ranged missile weapons could even get close enough to pose a threat. After the invention of gunpowder and the development of firearms , gun -type pneumatic ranged weapons became the dominant weapon of choice in armed conflicts , even in close combat . In modern warfare , ranged weaponry

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