ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Lock-on after launch

Okay kiddo, imagine you have a toy rocket that you want to launch. You press a button on the rocket and it takes off, flying into the sky. But what if you want to control where the rocket goes even after it has launched? That's where lock-on after launch comes in!

Lock-on after launch is a technology used in military missiles. Basically, it means that the missile can be launched into the air without having to be pointed directly at the target it needs to hit. The missile will follow a straight path until it gets close enough to the target, at which point it will automatically lock onto the target and adjust its course to hit it directly.

It's sort of like putting a GPS tracker on the rocket and telling it where to go once it's in the air. This technology is really important because it allows missiles to be fired from far away and still hit their targets accurately, without having to put the people who are firing the missiles in danger.

So, in summary, lock-on after launch is like putting a GPS tracker on a missile so it can hit its target even if it wasn't aimed at it when it was launched. It's a really cool technology that helps military operations stay safe and effective!