<P> Another aspect of passive anti-radiation homing is the "home on jam" mode which, when installed, allows a radar - guided missile to home in on the jammer of the target aircraft if the primary seeker is jammed by the electronic countermeasures of the target aircraft </P> <P> Air - to - air missiles are typically long, thin cylinders in order to reduce their cross section and thus minimize drag at the high speeds at which they travel . Missiles are divided into five primary systems (moving forward to aft): seeker, guidance, warhead, rocket motor, and control actuation . </P> <P> At the front is the seeker, either a radar system, radar homer, or infra - red detector . Behind that lies the avionics which control the missile . Typically after that, in the centre of the missile, is the warhead, usually several kilograms of high explosive surrounded by metal that fragments on detonation (or in some cases, pre-fragmented metal). </P> <P> The rear part of the missile contains the propulsion system, usually a rocket of some type and the control actuation system or CAS . Dual - thrust solid - fuel rockets are common, but some longer - range missiles use liquid - fuel motors that can "throttle" to extend their range and preserve fuel for energy - intensive final maneuvering . Some solid - fuelled missiles mimic this technique with a second rocket motor which burns during the terminal homing phase . There are missiles in development, such as the MBDA Meteor, that "breathe" air (using a ramjet, similar to a jet engine) in order to extend their range . </P>

How fast do air to air missiles fly