When it comes to missile boats, many people will think of the example of Egypt sinking the Israeli destroyer Eilat with mosquito class missile boats in the 1960s. At that time, the main targets of missile boats were surface ships. Nowadays, with the development of technology, the range of targets that missile boats can strike has further expanded. Since its inception, missile boats have undergone comprehensive evolution from construction to capability. The basic architecture of a missile boat is "boat+missile". A boat is a platform for carrying missiles, and its performance to some extent determines the reaction speed, control range, and battlefield survivability of the missile boat. In order to quickly respond and obtain a larger combat radius, researchers continue to work on the design, materials, engines, and other aspects of missile boats. Many new missile boats adopt the design of wave piercing catamarans or trimarans, while others adopt the configuration of hovercraft. This type of boat, coupled with the powerful engine power, maintains the characteristic of being "known for its speed" in missile boats. At the same time, some new missile boats extensively use composite materials and employ stealth design to further enhance battlefield survivability and improve strike efficiency. For example, the shield class P960 missile boat of the Norwegian Navy adopts a semi air cushion and semi catamaran configuration, with a hull composed of multiple irregular small planes and using fiber-reinforced plastic. This design not only gives this missile boat with a displacement of over 200 tons strong stealth performance, but also achieves a speed of 45 knots in level 3 sea conditions. The 12418 Lightning class new missile boat being developed by Russia has a displacement of over 500 tons and an external profile enhanced by stealth technology. With the propulsion of two diesel variable speed units, the boat can achieve a maximum range of 2900 nautical miles. Even if the arm can reach, the fist must be hard. The most important "fist" of a missile boat is the missile. During the development of missile boats, missiles have also been continuously evolving. By equipping with new missiles, missile boats continue the tradition of "small boats carrying large bombs". With continuous improvements in aerodynamic shape, power equipment, and guidance systems, modern submarine missiles can reach a range of several hundred kilometers, in sharp contrast to the effective range of 40 kilometers of the "Styx" missile used in mosquito class missile boats. The Israeli Sal 4.5 missile boat is equipped with the Gabriel V missile, which has a range of over 200 kilometers. The "positioning" of missiles after launch is also more flexible. The modified version of the AIM-9 missile carried by the "Magura" V7 can use an infrared seeker to achieve off-axis attacks on targets, and the strike range is also extended from the water surface to low altitude. Some missiles use terminal infrared imaging guidance combined with satellite correction, or receive external information through data links to achieve higher strike accuracy. In order to achieve higher strike efficiency, some missiles adopt stealth design to enhance their breakthrough capability. The arrival of the information age has made modern missile boats more "intelligent and discerning". On the one hand, they are equipped with advanced radar and other sensing devices, allowing crew members to timely monitor the battlefield situation; On the other hand, the improvement and use of information networks have made modern missile boats information nodes that can share intelligence in real-time with other combat platforms. The application of automation technology and the integration of artificial intelligence make it possible to unmanned missile boats. In October of this year, Ukraine publicly showcased its developed "Magula" V7 unmanned missile boat during a visit by a foreign delegation. It is said that this 7-meter-long small boat can strike aerial targets by carrying short-range missiles. Israel's "Sea Knight" unmanned missile boat can achieve information exchange through cluster networking. When equipped with electronic warfare modules, it can carry out navigation deception and even block communication with the other party. Some can carry multi-purpose missiles, some have unmanned aerial vehicle vertical takeoff and landing platforms, and some strive to advance from nearshore firepower to deeper waters... Currently, guided by specific needs of some countries, missile boats are still developing. It can be foreseen that missile boats, as small and powerful "sea fast fighters", will continue to cruise in some waters with strong vitality in the future, and may even create a new legend of "using small to gain big". (New Society)