Distinguish anti-ship missiles from anti-air missiles.

• A. Anti-ship missiles strike surface ships; anti-air missiles target aircraft or missiles in the air.
• B. Anti-ship missiles strike aircraft; anti-air missiles strike surface ships.
• C. Anti-ship missiles are used against submarines; anti-air missiles against missiles.
• D. Anti-ship missiles are only used on civilian vessels.

Answer: (A)

Targeting is the key difference: anti-ship missiles are built to locate and strike surface ships, while anti-air missiles are designed to intercept aircraft or other aerial threats in the air. This drives their design and usage. Anti-ship missiles like Harpoon or Exocet focus on hitting ships at sea, often with sea-skimming flight and guidance tailored to defeating ship defenses. Anti-air missiles like Patriot or AMRAAM are optimized to engage fast, maneuvering aerial targets at various altitudes, with guidance and sensors tuned for air targets.

The other options mix up who gets hit or describe roles that aren’t the standard distinction. Some ideas swap targets (ships vs aircraft), imply submarines or missiles as the primary targets, or claim civilian vessels are the sole users—none of which define the typical difference between anti-ship and anti-air missiles.