surface-to-surface

[sur-fis-tuh-sur-fis]

adjective

1. (of a missile, message, etc.) capable of traveling from a base on the surface of the earth to a target also on the surface.

adverb

1. from a base on the surface of the earth to a target on the surface.

surface-to-surface

adjective

1. of or relating to a missile launched from the surface of the earth against surface targets

Word History and Origins

Origin of surface-to-surface¹

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

These ships are capable of launching the surface-to-surface Tomahawk, which can travel long distances and potentially reach inside Venezuela to hit a cocaine lab or a cartel headquarters.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The Israeli Defense Forces Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir, said Israel launched its opening attack on Iran knowing that "Iran possessed around 2,500 surface-to-surface missiles".

Read more on BBC

The IDF also says it has destroyed a third of Iran's surface-to-surface launchers.

Read more on BBC

Most of its arsenal is made up of small, unguided, surface-to-surface artillery rockets.

Read more on BBC

They were built in the 1990s by Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi, but Israel has recently taken delivery of four larger and more heavily-armed German-built Sa’ar 6 corvettes, with 76mm main guns and new surface-to-surface missiles.

Read more on Salon