History Main / MisguidedMissile

* In a variation on the theme, a Tomahawk missile is launched at an ArmsFair in the PreTitlesSequence of ''Film/TomorrowNeverDies''. ''After'' it's fired, Film/JamesBond manages to communicate that one of the planes there is armed with a nuclear torpedo, and if the Tomahawk blows ''that'' up it will make the fallout from Chernobyl look like spring rain. When the Royal Navy are unable to self-destruct the inbound Tomahawk, he nicks the plane.

* ''Anime/CowboyBebop'': In the episode "Honky Tonk Woman", Fae uses a jamming device to divert a missile that's been fired at her SpacePlane back to the ship that launched it.

* Mao does [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixpnrbWvsa8&t=10m20s this]] to protect a helicopter full of refugees in the first episode of ''Literature/FullMetalPanic The Second Raid''. Of course, it was justified that her AS is custom-equipped with electronic warfare equipment. Plus the fact that she did this with ARF missiles which also exist in real life; according to Website/TheOtherWiki, they are specifically built in a way that if someone attempts to jam them, they lock onto the jammer instead(!).

*** The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_14_torpedo American Mark 14 Torpedo]] was notorious for running in circles, among other serious problems. There is only one confirmed case of a circular run sinking the submarine that launched it (the legendary USS ''Tang''), but there are several of circular-running torpedoes that either passed over a frantically crash-diving submarine or went off close by thanks to their deeply-problematic magnetic influence detonator. Even when they ran straight, Mk14s often ran too deep, failed to explode, or exploded prematurely, doing no damage to the enemy but loudly announcing the presence of an American submarine to any destroyer within 25 miles.

* This is how you "beat" (Annoy so much he sends away all the allies he's using to attack you) the Mad Dummy in ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}''.

* Mao does [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixpnrbWvsa8&t=10m20s this]] to protect a helicopter full of refugees in the first episode of ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic The Second Raid''. Of course, it was justified that her AS is custom-equipped with electronic warfare equipment. Plus the fact that she did this with ARF missiles which also exist in real life; according to Website/TheOtherWiki, they are specifically built in a way that if someone attempts to jam them, they lock onto the jammer instead(!).

* In ''Manga/Area88'' Shin does this when he is bounced by [[spoiler:a pair of [=MiG=]s while in an unarmed Phantom.]]

** Marko Ramius, the Soviet's submarine captain equivalent of an AcePilot; and Bart Mancuso, his American counterpart both do this with a ''ballistic missile submarine'', defeating not one but two torpedoes fired by the lurking ''[[ReportingNames Alfa]]''-class submarine ''Konavalov''. [[ArbitraryMinimumRange Ramius charges the first torpedo, reducing its run to less than its safety arming setpoint and resulting in a dud]]; when the ''Konavalov''[='=]s captain orders all safeties off the second torpedo before firing it, it has the ''Red October'' cold until the more maneuverable ''Dallas'' interposes itself to draw it away and then crash-surfaces to get away; when the torpedo re-acquires ''Red October'', Mancuso (in temporary command) plays a GameOfChicken with the ''Konavalov'', veering away at the last second so that the torpedo hits its own launch point.

* Charles does this in ''LightNovel/ThePrincessAndThePilot'' when up against a patrol of Amatsukami airships.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* Mao does [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixpnrbWvsa8&t=10m20s this]] to protect a helicopter full of refugees in the first episode of ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic The Second Raid''. Of course, it was justified that her AS is custom-equipped with electronic warfare equipment. Plus the fact that she did this with ARF missiles which also exist in real life; according to Wiki/TheOtherWiki, they are specifically built in a way that if someone attempts to jam them, they lock onto the jammer instead(!).

* In VideoGame/{{Portal}}, turret-launched missiles, though not true homing projectiles, can be sent wherever you please with cleverly-placed portals. This strategy is essential for the final boss.

** Marko Ramius, the Soviet's submarine captain equivalent of an AcePilot; and Bart Mancuso, his American counterpart both do this with a ''ballistic missile submarine'', defeating not one but two torpedoes fired by the lurking ''[[ReportingNames Alfa]]''-class submarine ''Konavalov''. [[ArbitraryMinimumRange Ramius charges the first torpedo, reducing its run to less than its safety arming setpoint and resulting in a dud]]; when the ''Konavalov''[='=]s captain orders all safeties off the second torpedo beore firing it, it has the ''Red October'' cold until the more maneuverable ''Dallas'' interposes itself to draw it away and then crash-surfaces to get away; when the torpedo re-acquires ''Red October'', Mancuso (in temporary command) plays a GameOfChicken with the ''Konavalov'', veering away at the last second so that the torpedo hits its own launch point.

* In the prequel series ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'', the newly-launched NX-01 Enterprise tests out its torpedoes. The first torpedo doesn't even hit the target asteroid; the second one glances off it and heads back towards Enterprise, forcing the Tactical Officer to detonate it before it hits. Given the number of hostile alien species we know our heroes will encounter, it's not a good start.

* The ''Manga/BlackLagoon'' crew divert heat seeking missiles with a flare, before [[CrazyAwesome launching their boat in the air and taking the attacking helicopter down with a torpedo]].

* This is how you "beat" (Annoy so much he sends away all the allies he's using to attack you) the Mad Dummy in {{VideoGame/Undertale}}.

The AcePilot either has the skills to blow it up or a plan (well, [[IndyPloy more like on the spot improvising]]) to destroy or escape from the missile. Usually by [[HighSpeedMissileDodge deftly dodging]] [[WronskiFeint and making it hit a cliff or asteroid]], just plain letting it hit his plane but using an EjectionSeat beforehand, or best of all, [[StopHittingYourself leading it back to the launcher!]] If he's being chased by the MacrossMissileMassacre, then expect his new target to go "OhCrap"

---> '''''Konavalov'' sonar officer:''' [[OhCrap Torpedo dead ahead!]]\\
'''''Konavalov'' XO:''' You arrogant ass! [[HoistByHisOwnPetard You've killed us!]]

** Marko Ramius, the Soviet's submarine captain equivalent of an AcePilot; and Bart Mancuso, his American counterpart both do this with a ''ballistic missile submarine'', defeating not one but two torpedoes fired by a lurking "[[ReportingNames Alfa]]"-class. [[ArbitraryMinimumRange Ramius charges the first torpedo, reducing its run to less than its safety arming setpoint and resulting in a dud]]; when the Alfa's captain orders all safeties off the second torpedo, Manusco misguides it ''twice''; it has the ''October'' cold until the more maneuverable ''Dallas'' interposes itself then crash-surfaces to get away, leaving the torpedo on the way back toward the boat that fired it.
--> '''Alfa sonar officer:''' [[OhCrap Torpedo dead ahead!]]\\
'''Alfa XO:''' You arrogant ass! [[HoistByHisOwnPetard You've killed us!]]
** There is also the time Ramius dodges a plane-dropped torpedo by making a sharp turn just before hitting a rock, causing the torpedo to be momentarily confused due to the bubbles.

* Frankie in ''Film/SkyCaptainAndTheWorldOfTomorrow'', who leads an underwater crab robot's torpedo away and ejects when she can't blow it up. Sky Captain uses the crabs same torpedoes to destroy it by leading them back to it.

** Marko Ramius, the Soviet's submarine captain equivalent of an AcePilot; and Bart Mancuso, his American counterpart both do this with a ''ballistic missile submarine'', defeating not one but two torpedoes fired by a lurking "[[ReportingNames Alfa]]"-class. [[ArbitraryMinimumRange Ramius charges the first torpedo, reducing its run to less than its safety arming setpoint and resulting in a dud]]; when the Alfa's captain orders all safeties off the second torpedo, Mancuso leads the torp back toward the boat that fired it.

** The second torpedo actually gets misguided ''twice''; a few minutes earlier it has the ''October'' cold until the more maneuverable ''Dallas'' interposes itself then crash-surfaces to get away.

* Like it was outlined below in Real Life section, this can happen in ''VideoGame/ColdWaters'' if you lose your torpedo wire, especially if you set your torpedo search pattern to circular and you lost the wire at close range to the torpedo. However, it's possible to pull this on the enemy, by firing [[ThrowingTheDistraction MOSS]] down the enemy bearing and draw away a torpedo that's chasing you, which would likely for them to home into said enemy. Or, if you're close and ballsy enough, use your own submarine as a bait.

* Charles does this in ''Anime/ThePrincessAndThePilot'' when up against a patrol of Amatsukami airships.

* Charles does this in ''Anime/ToaruHikushiENoTsuioku'' when up against a patrol of Amatsukami airships.

** Deliberately set up in ''Rogue Squadron'', the first book of the ''ComicBook/XWingSeries''. A ''Lancer'' frigate, specially designed to destroy fighters, has just appeared in the picture. Y-wings (slow bombers) can't get close enough for a missile lock without being vaped. The plan is going to be "let the X-wings distract the frigate so the Y-wings can escape," which is suicide. So Corran Horn comes up with a plan:

* Used to introduce us to most of the titular dog's powers in the intro to Disney's ''Disney/{{Bolt}}'', Bolt grabs a magnetic landmine, and unintentionally gets a homing missile on his tail, which he runs away from, leading it back toward a different helicopter which he jumps over, but the missile hits home.