i fired these in the military, or at least the american version. you can see the missile for a moment at launch because the first launch is an 'ejection' before the missile really takes of. about 90% of that thing is fuel, 9.5% is tracking optics, and .5% pounds of explosive. under the front of the missile launcher is a container of pressurized argon gas that used to use cool the computer systems. i don't know if it is because the system is overclocked, or if it was to help with the heat detection methods of the missile. once you start the release of argon gas, you only have about 14 seconds to shoot the missile. left to right, or right to left targets are the easiest to hit. there is usually a small manual elevation of 10 - 15 degrees required by the shooter prior to launch. i don't see the shooter doing that, but their reticles might have that elevation built in. i fired 5 of these during my enlistment. i've hit test targets and it's very anticlimactic, the smoke trail often covers up the explosion. which is tiny in the distant.  i don't believe i could hit a cruise missile. i don't believe the missile could catch up to one. it can intersect one. once it's out of the tube, it's on a mind of its own.
United States