Category:Missile weapon

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A missile weapon (or ranged weapon) is any weapon that launches a projectile or that is, itself, a projectile. In contrast, a weapon intended to be used in hand-to-hand combat is called a mêlée weapon.

Early ranged weapons include thrown weapons such as javelins, slings, darts, the bow and arrow, and medieval siege engines like catapults, ballistas and trebuchets. These ranged weapons were extremely effective in combat against close-combat weapons, as they gave the wielder opportunity to launch multiple projectiles before an enemy armed with mêlée weapons or shorter ranged missile weapon posed a threat to him. Siege engines were also used for passing or hitting natural or artificial obstacles such as fortifications.

After the invention of gunpowder and the development of firearms, ranged weapons became the weapon of choice. In modern warfare, ranged weaponry is used in the form of cruise and ballistic missiles. The maximum effective range of a weapon is the greatest distance it can be fired and consistently produce casualties or damage.