Cold launch versus hot launch in vertical cells

What is a cold missile launch?

A system ejects the missile from its cell before its motor ignites, trading lower cell exhaust and debris for an added ejection mechanism.

The explanation contrasts a missile igniting inside its cell with one ejected before its motor starts. Hot launch avoids a separate ejection mechanism but requires the launcher to handle flame, exhaust, and intense heat. Cold launch uses gas, pressure, or another impulse to push the missile clear, reducing foreign-object debris and deck hazards around carrier aviation. That benefit comes with another mechanism that must work reliably, because an ejection failure can endanger the cell and nearby missiles.