smart weapons

¹ Cultural  

1. A military term used to refer to weapons that, through the use of onboard computers, can guide themselves to their targets. (See cruise missile and laser-guided weapons.)

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smart weapons ² Cultural  

1. Bombs and projectiles guided by lasers and other means, known for their extraordinary accuracy. They have been employed with telling effect by American-led forces in the Persian Gulf War and in other conflicts.

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Example Sentences

In the 1970s, that perceived lead shifted to smart weapons, based on brand-new Silicon Valley technologies like computer chips.

From New York Times • Feb. 3, 2017

He noted that the office was working on advanced navigation for smart weapons using micro-cameras and sensors; missile-defense systems using hypervelocity projectiles; and swarming drones that are “really fast, really resistant.”

From Washington Post • Feb. 23, 2016

The gun industry and gun rights activists are wary of smart weapons.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2015

What we need is "smart weapons" specifically targeting the toxic corners of finance, they said; what we get is carpet-bombing.

From The Guardian • Mar. 10, 2013

Centuries before smart weapons and robotic systems, this reasoning was understood intuitively.

From Shock and Awe — Achieving Rapid Dominance by Wade, James P.