To switch to missiles in Star Citizen, press the middle mouse button while piloting a ship equipped with missiles; this is the reported default for activating Missile Operator Mode. [1] The mode changes your weapon interface, but choosing a target and locking it are separate actions. It also helps to read When Did Star Citizen Start Development?
That distinction helps when a fight gets hectic: entering missile mode does not itself select or lock an opponent. Once the interface changes, use its prompts to handle targeting rather than assuming the mode switch has already done it.
If the middle mouse button does not respond, check the active in-game binding for Missile Operator Mode. Treat the button as a reported default, not a guarantee that it matches your setup; verify the control before relying on it in a fight.
Check your ship and missile controls first
Before you try to switch to missiles, confirm your ship can carry them and check the active control binding in-game. A missile rack is required for a ship to use missiles, so a ship without one will not have missile capability. [2]
Check the ship’s equipment
Look over the ship’s equipment or loadout before takeoff and confirm that a missile rack is fitted. For example, if you are setting up a ship for a combat run, do not assume it can use missiles just because you can see weapon controls in the cockpit; check the rack first. A rack allows a ship to launch missiles. [2]
Check your binding before flying
Mouse-and-keyboard controls can be remapped, so the binding shown on your setup may differ from a control listed in older instructions. Check the in-game keybinds for Missile Operator Mode before you leave a landing area, then make sure you can find that control again once you are in the cockpit.
The exact current menu path for this setting is not established here, so use the in-game keybind search or controls menus rather than following an assumed sequence of tabs. It is also safer to treat reported defaults as version-dependent: game controls can change between versions, and a remembered binding is not a guarantee that it is still active. If your control does not work in flight, check the current binding instead of repeatedly pressing an old default.
Enter missile mode and select a target
In a ship equipped with missiles, press the middle mouse button to enter Missile Operator Mode if that is still your assigned binding. [1] Once the mode opens, use the missile interface as your workspace: follow its on-screen prompts to acquire a target rather than guessing at a key from an older control layout.
Watch the target indicator as you work through the prompts. Treat selecting a target and confirming a lock as distinct stages, and wait for the interface to show lock confirmation before you fire. The indicator gives you a clear cue to pause: for example, if you have highlighted a target but no lock confirmation appears, keep following the prompts instead of launching.
If Missile Operator Mode does not open, check the active in-game binding for the mode and make sure your ship has usable missiles. Controls can be remapped, so check the binding currently shown in your game rather than relying on a remembered setup. [1] If the interface looks different from what you expect, let its current prompts guide you through target acquisition and look for confirmation there before firing; do not assume a launch command that you have not verified.
What to check if missile mode will not open
If missile mode will not open, check that your ship can carry missiles, that it has missiles available, and that your active Missile Operator Mode binding is correct. A ship needs a missile rack to launch missiles, so a missile-capable hull alone may not be enough if its rack or ammunition is missing. [2] Related reading: Star Citizen Open Development: How It Works.
Check the ship and binding
Before troubleshooting the control, confirm the ship is actually carrying missiles. For example, if the missile display is empty, changing modes will not give you a missile to use; check the ship’s equipment and available ordnance first.
Next, check the current Missile Operator Mode binding in your controls. Middle mouse button is described as the way to enter the mode while piloting a missile-equipped ship, but do not assume it is still your assigned control if nothing happens. [1]
Keep mode, selection, and arming separate
Getting into missile mode is not the same as choosing a missile or arming it. Older instructions describe using the right mouse button to switch between missiles and pressing G repeatedly to arm them, but those directions are dated and may not match the controls in your current version. [3]
If the mode opens but the missile behavior does not match what you expect, pause and check the active in-game prompts and bindings rather than cycling through old key combinations. Treat switching modes, selecting a missile, and arming it as separate steps, and follow the controls shown in your current setup.
Use the current in-game binding
For a missile-equipped ship, try the middle mouse button to switch to Missile Operator Mode, then use the on-screen interface to target. [1] Treat that as a starting point, not a control to memorize forever: if it behaves differently in your current game, follow the active in-game binding instead of an older instruction.
Your practical next step is to check the binding before you fly if you have changed controls or are unsure what your current setup uses. Once in flight, press the assigned control and follow the target prompts shown on screen; for example, if middle click changes your view or does nothing, check the current binding and use that control. The key takeaway is simple: use the interface and binding you see in your game, not a remembered button from an older setup.