Tomahawk Cruise Missile Richard Bly

Overview Description: The Tomahawk® Land Attack Missile (TLAM) is a long range, subsonic cruise missile used for land attack warfare, launched from U. S. Navy surface ships and submarines.

Background first operational use was in Operation Desert Storm (1991) designed to fly at extremely low altitudes at high subsonic speeds are piloted over an evasive route by several mission tailored guidance systems Digital Scene Matching Area Correlation (DSMAC) and Global Positioning Satellite System guidance capability is coupled to the Block II guidance systems for precision navigation

Background Because of its long range, lethality, and extreme accuracy, Tomahawk® has become the weapon of choice for the U.S. Department of Defense.

Tomahawk® Block IV the next generation Tomahawk® cruise missile adds the capability to reprogram the missile while in-flight to strike any of 15 pre-programmed alternate targets or redirect the missile to any Global Positioning System (GPS) target coordinates able to loiter over a target area, and with its on-board camera, will allow the warfighting commanders to assess target battle damage will become operational in mid 2004

General Characteristics Primary Function: long-range subsonic cruise missile for striking high value or heavily defended land targets. Contractor: Raytheon Systems Company, Tucson, Ariz. Unit Cost: approximately $569,000 (FY99 $) Power Plant: Block II/III TLAM-A, C & D - Williams International F107 cruise turbo-fan engine ; ARC/CSD solid-fuel booster Block IV TLAM-E - Williams International F415 cruise turbo-jet engine ; ARC solid-fuel booster Length: 18 feet 3 inches (5.56 meters); with booster: 20 feet 6 inches (6.25 meters) Weight: 2,900 pounds (1,315.44 kg); 3,500 pounds (1,587.6 kg) with booster Diameter: 20.4 inches (51.81 cm) Wing Span: 8 feet 9 inches (2.67 meters)

Tomahawk Weapon System comprised of four major components: Tomahawk Missile Theater Mission Planning Center (TMPC)/Afloat Planning System (APS) Tomahawk Weapon Control System (TWCS) for surface ships Combat Control System (CCS) for submarines

Ships vs. Subs Ships and submarines have different weapon control systems (WCSs). A vertical launching system (VLS) accommodates missile stowage and launch on ships. On all attack submarines, missiles are launched from torpedo tubes (with stowage in the torpedo room); in addition, some attack submarines have VLS located forward, external to the pressure hull, which will handle both stowage and launch.

Fire Control Systems The Fire Control Systems (FCS) on both ships and submarines perform communications management, database management, engagement planning, and launch control functions. These systems provide the interface between the missile and FCS for missile initialization and launch as well as environmental protection.

The Future of Tomahawk Tomahawk Block IV Phase I The Navy’s premier strike weapon for the next generation is the Block IV Phase I Tomahawk. Current plans call for 1,253 Block IV missiles to be produced by remanufacturing currently bunkered TASMs. OPNAV, in concert with fleet CINCs, developed an acquisition objective of 3,440 Block III and IV Tomahawk missiles through the completion of the Block IV program. Tomahawk Block IV Phase II Future deep-strike requirements are in review and focus on technological advancements and cost reduction. Follow-on Tomahawk Block developments and replacement systems also are being reviewed. An antiarmor variant with a real-time targeting system for moving targets, using either Brilliant Antiarmor Technology or Search and Destroy Armor submunitions, is a possibility. Both submunition options leverage off U.S. Army developmental programs, reducing program costs.