The Vergeltung (V-1), commonly called the 'buzz bomb', was the world's first

• A. Nuclear-armed anti-satellite (ASAT) weapon.
• B. Precision-guided munition (PGM).
• C. Cruise missile.
• D. Rocket-powered aircraft.

Answer: (C)

This item tests recognizing how early unmanned weapons were classified. The Vergeltung (V-1) was an unmanned, powered weapon designed to follow a pre-set flight path to a target, controlled by a simple autopilot. That combination—being self-propelled, unmanned, and guided along a defined route toward a target—defines it as a cruise missile, making it the first operational example of this type.

Its propulsion came from a pulsejet engine, not a rocket, so it’s not a rocket-powered aircraft. It wasn’t a nuclear-armed anti-satellite weapon, since it was designed to hit ground targets, not satellites. And while it carried a warhead, its guidance system was primitive by modern standards and not what we’d call a modern precision-guided munition. The key idea is the guided, self-propelled flight path toward a target, which is the hallmark of a cruise missile.