Which statement order differentiates ballistic missiles from cruise missiles?

• A. Ballistic missiles are self-propelled for most of flight; Cruise missiles guided by gravity.
• B. Ballistic missiles carry smaller payloads; Cruise missiles larger payload.
• C. Ballistic missiles are only used by ships; Cruise missiles only by aircraft.
• D. Ballistic missiles are guided by gravity and fired from shore-based facilities; Cruise missiles are guided by rockets and are self-propelled for most of flight.

Answer: (D)

The key difference is how each missile travels and how it is guided. Ballistic missiles fire their rocket engine for a short boost to get on a high, steep trajectory, then coast under the pull of gravity toward the target. After that boost, their flight is largely gravity-driven rather than actively guided, and they are typically launched from fixed or shore-based facilities (though they can be launched from ships or submarines as well, depending on the system).

Cruise missiles, by contrast, stay powered and guided throughout the flight. They use a propulsion system (such as a jet engine) for most or all of the journey and rely on continuous navigation guidance to fly a precise path at relatively low altitude toward the target. This combination of sustained powered flight with active guidance sets cruise missiles apart from the gravity-dominated, short-boost ballistic trajectory.

The other statements mix up these distinctions—for example, suggesting ballistic missiles always carry smaller payloads or that cruise missiles are only launched from aircraft, or implying cruise missiles are guided by rockets—so they don’t capture the fundamental difference in propulsion duration and guidance.