[pieceofthepuzzle]

“Nothing more than an X,Y,Z with no regard for whether or not their intended audience is there. Eyes on is the only certainty in the game of warfare.”

I know the general way in which cruise missiles work, but can they be programmed to terminate on a ‘lit up’ target (once they've gotten into the general vicinity via their geo-tracking capabilities)?

[rjsimmon]

but can they be programmed to terminate on a ‘lit up’ target (once they've gotten into the general vicinity via their geo-tracking capabilities)?

Nope. Cruise missiles are lat/long seekers. Various missile types have systems to seek infrared or RADAR reflections, but few have the capability to do more that that. When I flew Prowlers, we had HARM that could fly to an initial lat/long and then seek RADAR emissions. LGB's seek reflected laser or IR but not electronics.

The physical limitations are in the seeking method.

[Mastador1]

This is why everyone ever sent to gitmo or captured and released should have been implanted with a tiny gps locator, no wasted time or munitions when termination is desired. You know the same reason the socialists in this country want to do it to us.