The AGM-86B is a type of which missile category?

The AGM-86B is a type of which missile category?

• A. Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM)
• B. Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM)
• C. Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM)
• D. Anti-Ship Missile

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is how a missile is launched and how it flies. The AGM-86B is designed to be carried by and released from an aircraft and then guided to its target on a controlled, powered flight path. That makes it an air-launched cruise missile. It isn’t a ballistic missile that flies a high-arcing trajectory after a ground boost, so it’s not an intercontinental ballistic missile. It isn’t a surface-to-air missile, which is built to intercept targets from the ground or sea, and it isn’t an anti-ship missile, which targets ships. The combination of being carried by an aircraft and flying as a guided cruise missile is why it fits the air-launched cruise missile category.

The main idea here is how a missile is launched and how it flies. The AGM-86B is designed to be carried by and released from an aircraft and then guided to its target on a controlled, powered flight path. That makes it an air-launched cruise missile. It isn’t a ballistic missile that flies a high-arcing trajectory after a ground boost, so it’s not an intercontinental ballistic missile. It isn’t a surface-to-air missile, which is built to intercept targets from the ground or sea, and it isn’t an anti-ship missile, which targets ships. The combination of being carried by an aircraft and flying as a guided cruise missile is why it fits the air-launched cruise missile category.