Which type of terminal homing uses the target's energy for tracking?

• A. Active
• B. Semi-Active
• C. Passive
• D. Infrared

Answer: (C)

The core idea here is how the seeker gets its guidance signals during the final phase. In terminal homing, three main approaches exist based on where the energy comes from: active seekers emit their own energy to illuminate the target and watch for reflections, semi-active seekers rely on energy from another source to illuminate the target and the missile only detects the reflections, and passive seekers do not emit at all. Instead, they listen for energy already produced by the target, such as radar emissions or heat from the target, to guide the missile. Infrared is a common type of passive seeker that tracks thermal energy, but the defining feature is that the missile uses the target’s energy rather than generating its own. That’s why this choice is correct.