Ranged weapon

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A ranged weapon is any weapon that launches a projectile or that is a projectile itself. In contrast, a weapon intended to be used in man-to-man combat is called a mêlée weapon.

Early ranged weapons include thrown weapons such as spears, slings, darts, the bow and arrow, and medieval siege engines like catapults and trebuchets. These ranged weapons were extremely effective in combat in comparison to close-combat weapons, as they gave the wielder opportunity to launch multiple projectiles before an enemy armed with mêlée weapons posed a threat to him.

After the invention of gunpowder and the development of firearms, ranged weapons became the weapon of choice. In modern warfare, ranged weaponry is used in the form of cruise and ballistic missiles. Maximum effective range of a weapon is the greatest distance fired and able to produce casualties or damage consistently.

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