[Carry_Okie]

There are loitering antiship missiles these days, just like there are loitering drones, and they can be roughly the same size and radar return.

What is the difference between a loitering missile and a loitering drone? Is it that the latter has real-time control from a base?

[Spktyr]

The missile is usually totally or even mostly autonomous and was designed as an attack munition to begin with. A loitering drone need not have been intended as an attack vehicle but could collect information. Drones of this type can be fully manually piloted by remote or have some automation - we’re still not at the point where they can fly completely on their own just yet.