Tomahawk (missile)

The Tomahawk (/ˈtɒməhɔːk/) Land Attack Missile (TLAM) is a long-range, all-weather, jet-powered, subsonic cruise missile that is primarily used by the United States Navy and Royal Navy in ship- and submarine-based land-attack operations.

Tomahawk
A BGM-109 Tomahawk flying in November 2002
TypeLong-range, all-weather, subsonic cruise missile
Anti-ship missile[1](Block V)
Submarine-launched cruise missile
Land-attack missile
Surface-to-surface missile[2]
Place of originUnited States
Service history
In service1983–present
Used byUnited States Navy, Royal Navy (currently)
Royal Australian Navy,[3] Royal Canadian Navy[4](future) Royal Netherlands Navy[5](future)
Production history
ManufacturerGeneral Dynamics (initially)
McDonnell Douglas
Hughes Aircraft Corporation
Raytheon Missiles & Defense
Unit cost
  • $1.87M (FY2017)[6] (Block IV)
  • $2M (FY2022)[7] (Block V)
Specifications
Mass2,900 lb (1,300 kg), 3,500 lb (1,600 kg) with booster
LengthWithout booster: 18 ft 3 in (5.56 m) With booster: 20 ft 6 in (6.25 m)
Diameter20.4 in (0.52 m)
WarheadNuclear: W80 warhead (with blast yield of 5-150 kT) (retired)[8]
Conventional: 1,000 pounds (450 kg) high explosive or submunition dispenser with BLU-97/B Combined Effects Bomb or PBXN
Detonation
mechanism
FMU-148 since TLAM Block III, others for special applications
EngineWilliams International F107-WR-402 turbofan
using TH-dimer fuel
and a solid-fuel rocket booster
Wingspan8 ft 9 in (2.67 m)
Operational
range
Block II TLAM-A – 1,350 nmi (1,550 mi; 2,500 km)

Block III TLAM-C, Block IV TLAM-E – 900 nmi (1,000 mi; 1,700 km)
Block III TLAM-D – 700 nmi (810 mi; 1,300 km)[9]

Block IV = 864nmi, 1000+ miles, 1600+ km
Block Vb = 899nmi, 1035+ miles, 1666+ km (exact range is classified)[10]
RGM/UGM-109B (anti-ship variant) = 250 miles, 460 km[11]
Flight altitude98–164 ft (30–50 m) AGL[12]
Maximum speed Subsonic; ~Mach 0.74. about 567.7 mph (493.3 kn; 913.6 km/h)
Guidance
system
GPS, INS, TERCOM, DSMAC, active radar homing (RGM/UGM-109B)
Launch
platform
Vertical launch system (VLS)
Torpedo tubes
Surface ships
Submarines
TELs

Under contract from the U.S. Navy, the Tomahawk was designed at the APL/JHU in a project led by James Walker near Laurel, Maryland, and was first manufactured by General Dynamics in the 1970s. It was intended to fill the role of a medium- to long-range, low-altitude missile that could be launched from a naval surface warfare platform, and featured a modular design accommodating a wide variety of warhead, guidance, and range capabilities. At least six variants and multiple upgraded versions of the TLAM have been added since the original design was introduced, including air-, sub-, and ground-launched variants with conventional and nuclear armaments. In 1992–1994, McDonnell Douglas Corporation was the sole supplier of Tomahawk Missiles and produced Block II and Block III Tomahawk missiles and remanufactured many Tomahawks to Block III specifications.[13] In 1994, Hughes outbid McDonnell Douglas Aerospace to become the sole supplier of Tomahawk missiles. By 2019, the only variants in service were non-nuclear, sea-launched variants manufactured by Raytheon.[14] In 2016, the U.S. Department of Defense purchased 149 Tomahawk Block IV missiles for $202.3 million.[6]

The Tomahawk was most recently used by the U.S. Navy in the 2018 missile strikes against Syria, when 66 missiles were launched targeting alleged Syrian chemical weapons facilities.[15]

Variants

The variants and multiple upgrades to the missile include:

  • BGM-109A Tomahawk Land Attack Missile – Nuclear (TLAM-N) with a W80 nuclear warhead. Retired from service sometime between 2010 and 2013.[8] Reports from early 2018 state that the U.S. Navy is considering reintroducing a (yet unknown type of) nuclear-armed cruise missile into service.[16]
  • RGM/UGM-109B Tomahawk Anti-Ship Missile (TASM) – active radar homing anti-ship missile variant; withdrawn from service in 1994 and converted to Block IV version.[9]
  • BGM-109C Tomahawk Land Attack Missile – Conventional (TLAM-C) with a unitary warhead. This was initially a modified Bullpup warhead.
  • BGM-109D Tomahawk Land Attack Missile – Dispenser (TLAM-D) with cluster munitions.[17]
    • Kit 2 Tomahawk Land Attack Missile - with a unique warhead used to disable electrical grids. First used in the Gulf War.[18]
  • RGM/UGM-109E Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM-E Block IV) – improved version of the TLAM-C.[9]
  • BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missile (GLCM) – with a W84 nuclear warhead; withdrawn from service in 1991 to comply with the INF Treaty.[9]
  • AGM-109H/L Medium Range Air-to-Surface Missile (MRASM) – a shorter-range, turbojet powered air-launched cruise missile with cluster munitions; never entered service, cost US$569,000 (1999).[19]

Ground-launched cruise missiles (GLCM) and their truck-like launch vehicles were employed at bases in Europe; they were withdrawn from service to comply with the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.[9] Many of the anti-ship versions were converted into TLAMs at the end of the Cold War.[16] The Block III TLAMs that entered service in 1993 can fly 3 percent farther using their new turbofan engines[9] and use Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers to strike more precisely.[16] Block III TLAM-Cs retain the Digital Scene Matching Area Correlation (DSMAC) II navigation system, allowing three kinds of navigation: GPS-only, which allow for rapid mission planning, with some reduced accuracy, DSMAC-only, which take longer to plan but terminal accuracy is somewhat better; and GPS-aided missions that combine DSMAC II and GPS navigation for greatest accuracy.[9] Block IV TLAMs have an improved turbofan engine that allows them to get better fuel economy and change speeds in flight.[9] The Block IV TLAMs can loiter better and have electro-optical sensors that allow real-time battle damage assessment.[9] The Block IVs can be given a new target in flight and can transmit an image, via satcom, immediately before impact to help determine whether the missile is on target and the likely damage from the attack.[9]

Upgrades
UGM-109 Tomahawk missile detonates above a test target, 1986.

A major improvement to the Tomahawk is network-centric warfare-capabilities, using data from multiple sensors (aircraft, UAVs, satellites, foot soldiers, tanks, ships) to find its target. It will also be able to send data from its sensors to these platforms.

Tomahawk Block II variants were all tested during January 1981 to October 1983. Deployed in 1984, some of the improvements included: an improved booster rocket, cruise missile radar altimeter, and navigation through the Digital Scene Matching Area Corellator (DSMAC).[20] DSMAC was a highly accurate rudimentary AI which allowed early low power computers to navigate and precisely target objectives using cameras on board the missile. With its ability to visually identify and aim directly at a target, it was more accurate than weapons using estimated GPS coordinates. Due to the very limited computer power of the day, DSMAC did not directly evaluate the maps, but instead would compute contrast maps and then combine multiple maps into a buffer, then compare the average of those combined images to determine if it was similar to the data in its small memory system. The data for the flight path was very low resolution in order to free up memory to be used for high resolution data about the target area. The guidance data was computed by a mainframe computer which took spy satellite photos and estimated what the terrain would appear like during low level flight. Since this data would not match the real terrain exactly, and since terrain changes seasonally and with changes in light quality, DSMAC would filter out differences between maps and use the remaining similar sections in order to find its location regardless of changes in how the ground appeared. It also had an extremely bright strobe light it could use to illuminate the ground for fractions of a second in order to find its position at night, and was able to take the difference in ground appearance into account.[21]

Tomahawk Block III introduced in 1993 added time-of-arrival control and improved accuracy for Digital Scene Matching Area Correlator (DSMAC) and jam-resistant GPS, smaller, lighter WDU-36 warhead, engine improvements and extended missile's range.[19][22]

Tactical Tomahawk Weapons Control System (TTWCS) takes advantage of a loitering feature in the missile's flight path and allows commanders to redirect the missile to an alternative target, if required. It can be reprogrammed in-flight to attack predesignated targets with GPS coordinates stored in its memory or to any other GPS coordinates. Also, the missile can send data about its status back to the commander. It entered service with the US Navy in late 2004. The Tactical Tomahawk Weapons Control System (TTWCS) added the capability for limited mission planning on board the firing unit (FRU).[23]

Tomahawk Block IV introduced in 2006 adds the strike controller which can change the missile in flight to one of 15 preprogrammed alternate targets or redirect it to a new target. This targeting flexibility includes the capability to loiter over the battlefield awaiting a more critical target. The missile can also transmit battle damage indication imagery and missile health and status messages via the two-way satellite data link. Firing platforms now have the capability to plan and execute GPS-only missions. Block IV also has an improved anti-jam GPS receiver for enhanced mission performance. Block IV includes Tomahawk Weapons Control System (TTWCS), and Tomahawk Command and Control System (TC2S).[24][25][26]

On 16 August 2010, the Navy completed the first live test of the Joint Multi-Effects Warhead System (JMEWS), a new warhead designed to give the Tomahawk the same blast-fragmentation capabilities while introducing enhanced penetration capabilities in a single warhead. In the static test, the warhead detonated and created a hole large enough for the follow-through element to completely penetrate the concrete target.[27] In February 2014, U.S. Central Command sponsored development and testing of the JMEWS, analyzing the ability of the programmable warhead to integrate onto the Block IV Tomahawk, giving the missile bunker buster effects to better penetrate hardened structures.[28]

In 2012, the USN studied applying Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM) technology into the Tactical Tomahawk.[29]

In 2014, Raytheon began testing Block IV improvements to attack sea and moving land targets.[30] The new passive radar seeker will pick up the electromagnetic radar signature of a target and follow it, and actively send out a signal to bounce off potential targets before impact to discriminate its legitimacy before impact.[28] Mounting the multi-mode sensor on the missile's nose would remove fuel space, but company officials believe the Navy would be willing to give up space for the sensor's new technologies.[31] The previous Tomahawk Anti-Ship Missile, retired over a decade earlier, was equipped with inertial guidance and the seeker of the Harpoon missile and there was concern with its ability to clearly discriminate between targets from a long distance, since at the time Navy sensors did not have as much range as the missile itself, which would be more reliable with the new seeker's passive detection and millimeter-wave active radar homing.[32][33] Raytheon estimates adding the new seeker would cost $250,000 per missile.[34] Other upgrades include a sea-skimming flight path.[35][36] The first Block IV TLAMs modified with a maritime attack capability will enter service in 2021.[37]

A supersonic version of the Tomahawk is under consideration for development with a ramjet to increase its speed to Mach 3. A limiting factor to this is the dimensions of shipboard launch tubes. Instead of modifying every ship able to carry cruise missiles, the ramjet-powered Tomahawk would still have to fit within a 21 inches (530 mm)-diameter and 20 feet (6.1 m)-long tube.[31]

In October 2015, Raytheon announced the Tomahawk had demonstrated new capabilities in a test launch, using its onboard camera to take a reconnaissance photo and transmit it to fleet headquarters. It then entered a loitering pattern until given new targeting coordinates to strike.[38]

By January 2016, Los Alamos National Laboratory was working on a project to turn unburned fuel left over when a Tomahawk reaches its target into an additional explosive force. To do this, the missile's JP-10 fuel is turned into a fuel air explosive to combine with oxygen in the air and burn rapidly. The thermobaric explosion of the burning fuel acts, in effect, as an additional warhead and can even be more powerful than the main warhead itself when there is sufficient fuel left in the case of a short-range target.[26][39]

The USS Chafee (DDG-90) launches a Block V Tomahawk during the start of operational testing in 2020.

Tomahawk Block V was introduced in 2021 with improvements to navigation and in-flight targeting. Block Va, the Maritime Strike Tomahawk (MST) which allows the missile to engage a moving target at sea, and Block Vb outfitted with the JMEWS warhead for hard-target penetration, will be released after the initial batch of Block V is delivered in March 2021.[40] All Block IV Tomahawks will be converted to Block V standard, while the remaining Block III missiles will be retired and demilitarized.[41]

Tomahawk Block V have longer range and dynamic targeting with the capability to hit vessels at sea (maritime strike role). Raytheon is recertifying and modernizing the missile, extending its service life by 15 years, and resulting in the new Tomahawk Block V series:

  • Block V: A modernized TACTOM with upgraded navigation and communication
  • Block VA: Block V that can strike moving targets at sea
  • Block VB: Block V, with a joint multi-effects warhead that can hit more diverse land targets.[40]

In 2020, Los Alamos National Laboratory reported that it would use corn ethanol to produce domestic fuel for Tomahawk missiles, which also does not require harsh acids to manufacture, compared to petroleum-based JP-10.[42]

Launch systems

Each missile is stored and launched from a pressurized canister that protects it during transportation and storage, and also serves as a launch tube.[43] These canisters were racked in Armored Box Launchers (ABL), which were installed on the four reactivated Iowa-class battleships USS Iowa, USS New Jersey, USS Missouri, and USS Wisconsin. The ABLs were also installed on eight Spruance-class destroyers, the four Virginia-class cruisers, and the nuclear cruiser USS Long Beach. These canisters are also in vertical launching systems (VLS) in other surface ships, capsule launch systems (CLS) in the later Los Angeles-class submarine and Virginia-class submarines, and in submarines' torpedo tubes. All ABL equipped ships have been decommissioned.

For submarine-launched missiles (called UGM-109s), after being ejected by gas pressure (vertically via the VLS) or by water impulse (horizontally via the torpedo tube), a solid-fuel booster is ignited to propel the missile and guide it out of the water.[44]

After achieving flight, the missile's wings are unfolded for lift, the airscoop is exposed and the turbofan engine is employed for cruise flight. Over water, the Tomahawk uses inertial guidance or GPS to follow a preset course; once over land, the missile's guidance system is aided by terrain contour matching (TERCOM). Terminal guidance is provided by the Digital Scene Matching Area Correlation (DSMAC) system or GPS, producing a claimed circular error probable of about 10 meters.

The Tomahawk Weapon System consists of the missile, Theater Mission Planning Center (TMPC)/Afloat Planning System, and either the Tomahawk Weapon Control System (on surface ships) or Combat Control System (for submarines).

Several versions of control systems have been used, including:

  • v2 TWCS – Tomahawk Weapon Control System (1983), also known as "green screens," was based on an old tank computing system.
  • v3 ATWCS – Advanced Tomahawk Weapon Control System (1994), first Commercial Off the Shelf, uses HP-UX.
  • v4 TTWCS – Tactical Tomahawk Weapon Control System, (2003).
  • v5 TTWCS – Next Generation Tactical Tomahawk Weapon Control System. (2006)

On August 18, 2019, the United States Navy conducted a test flight of a Tomahawk missile launched from a ground-based version of the Mark 41 Vertical Launch System.[45] It was the United States' first acknowledged launch of a missile that would have violated the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, from which the Trump administration withdrew on August 2.[46]

Munitions

The TLAM-D contains 166 sub-munitions in 24 canisters: 22 canisters of seven each, and two canisters of six each to conform to the dimensions of the airframe. The sub-munitions are the same type of Combined Effects Munition bomblet used in large quantities by the U.S. Air Force with the CBU-87 Combined Effects Munition. The sub-munitions canisters are dispensed two at a time, one per side. The missile can perform up to five separate target segments which enables it to attack multiple targets. However, in order to achieve a sufficient density of coverage typically all 24 canisters are dispensed sequentially from back to front.

TERCOM – Terrain Contour Matching. A digital representation of an area of terrain is mapped based on digital terrain elevation data or stereo imagery. This map is then inserted into a TLAM mission which is then loaded onto the missile. When the missile is in flight it compares the stored map data with radar altimeter data collected as the missile overflies the map. Based on comparison results the missile's inertial navigation system is updated and the missile corrects its course. TERCOM was based on, and was a significant improvement on, "Fingerprint," a technology developed in 1964 for the SLAM.[47]

DSMAC – Digital Scene Matching Area Correlation. A digitized image of an area is mapped and then inserted into a TLAM mission. During the flight the missile will verify that the images that it has stored correlates with the image it sees below itself. Based on comparison results the missile's inertial navigation system is updated and the missile corrects its course.

Operational history
Remnants of the turbofan engine of a Tomahawk shot down during the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, on display at the Museum of Aviation in Belgrade, Serbia.

United States Navy

In the 1991 Gulf War, 288 Tomahawks were launched, 12 from submarines and 276 from surface ships.[48] The first salvo was fired by the destroyer USS Paul F. Foster[49] on January 17, 1991. The attack submarines USS Pittsburgh[50] and USS Louisville followed.

On 17 January 1993, 46 Tomahawks were fired at the Zafraniyah Nuclear Fabrication Facility outside Baghdad, in response to Iraq's refusal to cooperate with UN disarmament inspectors. One missile crashed into the side of the Al Rasheed Hotel, killing two civilians.[51]

On 26 June 1993, 23 Tomahawks were fired at the Iraqi Intelligence Service's command and control center.[51]

On 10 September 1995, USS Normandy launched 13 Tomahawk missiles from the central Adriatic Sea against a key air defense radio relay tower in Bosnian Serb territory during Operation Deliberate Force.[52]

On 3 September 1996, 44 ship-launched UGM-109 and B-52-launched AGM-86 cruise missiles were fired at air defense targets in southern Iraq.[53][54]

On 20 August 1998, 79 Tomahawk missiles were fired simultaneously at two targets in Afghanistan and Sudan in retaliation for the bombings of American embassies by Al-Qaeda.[55]

On 16 December 1998, 325 Tomahawk missiles were fired at key Iraqi targets during Operation Desert Fox.[56]

In early 1999, 218 Tomahawk missiles were fired by U.S. ships and a British submarine during the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia against targets in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.[57]

In October 2001, about 50 Tomahawk missiles struck targets in Afghanistan in the opening hours of Operation Enduring Freedom.[58][59]

During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, more than 802 Tomahawk missiles were fired at key Iraqi targets.[60]

On 3 March 2008, two Tomahawk missiles were fired at a target in Somalia by a US vessel during the Dobley airstrike, reportedly in an attempt to kill Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, an al Qaeda militant.[61][62]

On 17 December 2009, two Tomahawk missiles were fired at targets in Yemen.[63] One TLAM-D struck an alleged Al-Qaeda training camp in al-Ma’jalah in al-Mahfad, a region of the Abyan governorate of Yemen. Amnesty International reported that 55 people were killed in the attack, including 41 civilians (21 children, 14 women, and six men). The US and Yemen governments refused to confirm or deny involvement, but diplomatic cables released as part of United States diplomatic cables leak later confirmed the missile was fired by a U.S. Navy ship.[17]

On 19 March 2011, 124 Tomahawk missiles[64] were fired by U.S. and British forces (112 US, 12 British)[65] against at least 20 Libyan targets around Tripoli and Misrata.[66] As of 22 March 2011, 159 UGM-109 were fired by US and UK ships against Libyan targets.[67]

On 23 September 2014, 47 Tomahawk missiles were fired by the United States from USS Arleigh Burke and USS Philippine Sea, which were operating from international waters in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf, against ISIL targets in Syria in the vicinity of Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor, Al-Hasakah and Abu Kamal,[68] and against Khorasan group targets in Syria west of Aleppo.[69]

On 13 October 2016, five Tomahawk cruise missiles were launched by USS Nitze at three radar sites in Yemen held by Houthi rebels in response to anti-ship missiles fired at US Navy ships the day before.[70]

On 6 April 2017, 59 Tomahawk missiles were launched from USS Ross (DDG-71) and USS Porter (DDG-78), targeting Shayrat Airbase near Homs, in Syria. The strike was in response to a chemical weapons attack, an act allegedly carried out by Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. U.S. Central Command stated in a press release that Tomahawk missiles hit "aircraft, hardened aircraft shelters, petroleum and logistical storage, ammunition supply bunkers, defense systems, and radars".[71] Initial U.S. reports claimed "approximately 20 planes" were destroyed, and that 58 out of the 59 cruise missiles launched had "severely degraded or destroyed" their intended target.[72][73] A later report by US Secretary of Defense James Mattis claimed that the strike destroyed about 20% of the Syrian government's operational aircraft.[74] Syrian state-run media claimed that nine civilians, including four children living in nearby villages were killed and another seven wounded as a result of the strike after missiles fell on their homes,[75][76] The Pentagon would later state civilians were not intentionally targeted.[77] According to the satellite images the runways[78] and the taxiways have been undamaged and combat flights from the attacked airbase resumed on 7 April a few hours after the attack, although U.S. officials did not state that the runway was a target.[79][80]

An independent bomb damage assessment conducted by ImageSat International counted hits on 44 targets, with some targets being hit by more than one missile; these figures were determined using satellite images of the airbase 10 hours after the strike.[81] However, the Russian defense ministry contends that the combat effectiveness of the attack was "extremely low";[82][83] only 23 missiles hit the base destroying six aircraft, and it did not know where the other 36 landed.[84][85] Russian television news, citing a Syrian source at the airfield, said that nine planes were destroyed by the strikes (5 Su-22M3s, 1 Su-22M4, and 3 Mig-23ML) and that all planes were thought to have been out of action at the time.[86] Al-Masdar News reported that 15 fighter jets were damaged or destroyed and that the destruction of fuel tankers caused several explosions and a large fire.[87] Some observers conclude that the Russian government—and therefore also the Syrian government—was warned and Syria had enough time to move most of the planes to another base.[88][89] The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the strike damaged over a dozen hangars, a fuel depot, and an air defense base.[90][91]

On April 14, 2018, the US launched 66 Tomahawk cruise missiles at Syrian targets near Damascus and Homs, as part of the 2018 bombing of Damascus and Homs.[92] These strikes were done in retaliation for alleged Douma chemical attack. The United States Department of Defense said Syria fired 40 defensive missiles at the allied weapons but did not hit any targets.[93] The Russian military said that Syrian air defenses shot down 71 of the 103 missiles launched by the US and its allies, but it was not possible to verify the claims.[94]

Number of Tomahawk missiles fired
Operation Year Number
Gulf War1991288
Part of Iraq disarmament17 January 199346
Part of Iraq disarmament26 June 199323
Operation Deliberate Force10 September 199513
Part of Iraq disarmament3 September 199644
Operation Infinite Reach20 August 199879
Operation Desert Fox16 December 1998325
NATO bombing of Yugoslavia1999218
Operation Enduring Freedom200150
2003 invasion of Iraq2003802
Dobley airstrike3 March 20082
Against an Al-Qaeda training camp in Yemen17 December 20092
2011 military intervention in Libya19 March 2011124
Military intervention against ISIL23 September 201447
In response to anti-ship missiles fired by Houthis in Yemen13 October 20165
Shayrat missile strike6 April 201759
2018 bombing of Damascus and Homs13 April 201866

Royal Navy

In 1995, the US agreed to sell 65 Tomahawks to the UK for torpedo-launch from their nuclear attack submarines. The first missiles were acquired and test-fired in November 1998; all Royal Navy fleet submarines are now Tomahawk capable, including the Astute-class.[95][96][97][98] The Kosovo War in 1999 saw the Swiftsure-class HMS Splendid become the first British submarine to fire the Tomahawk in combat. The UK subsequently bought 20 more Block III to replenish stocks.[99] The Royal Navy has since fired Tomahawks during the 2000s Afghanistan War, in Operation Telic as the British contribution to the 2003 Iraq War, and during Operation Ellamy in Libya in 2011.

In April 2004, the UK and US governments reached an agreement for the British to buy 64 of the new generation of Tomahawk missile—the Block IV or TacTom missile.[100] It entered service with the Royal Navy on 27 March 2008, three months ahead of schedule.[101] In July 2014 the US approved the sale to the UK of a further 65 submarine-launched Block IV's at a cost of US$140m including spares and support;[102] as of 2011 the Block III missiles were on British books at £1.1m and the Block IV at £0.87m including VAT.[103]

The Sylver Vertical Launching System on the new Type 45 destroyer is claimed by its manufacturers to have the capability to fire the Tomahawk, although the A50 launcher carried by the Type 45 is too short for the weapon (the longer A70 silo would be required). Nevertheless, the Type 45 has been designed with weight and space margin for a strike-length Mk41 or Sylver A70 silo to be retrofitted, allowing Type 45 to use the TLAM Block IV if required. The new Type 26 frigates will have a strike-length Mk41 VLS and the Type 31 frigate will also be fitted for but not with the system.[104]

In June 2022, the UK announced it would be upgrading its Tomahawk cruise missiles to Block V standard through a £265 million contract with the US government. The missiles will be upgraded from 2024.[105]

United States Air Force

The Air Force is a former operator of the nuclear-armed version of the Tomahawk, the BGM-109G Gryphon.[106]

United States Army

In November 2020, the U.S. Army selected the Tomahawk to fulfill its Mid-Range Capability (MRC), giving it a land-based long-range missile capable of striking ground and sea targets. The Army plans to use the Tomahawk alongside a ground-based SM-6 and field them by late 2023.[107]

Canada

According to infographics released by Royal Canadian Navy, their new frigates (CSC) will be equipped with the missile.[108][4]

Australia

In September 2021, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that Australia would acquire Tomahawks for the Royal Australian Navy's Hobart-class air warfare destroyers.[109]

Other users

The Netherlands (2005) and Spain (2002 and 2005) were interested in acquiring the Tomahawk system, but the orders were later cancelled in 2007 and 2009 respectively.[110][111]

In 2009, the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States stated that Japan would be concerned if the TLAM-N were retired, but the government of Japan has denied that it had expressed any such view.[112]

The SLCM version of the Popeye was developed by Israel after the US Clinton administration refused an Israeli request in 2000 to purchase Tomahawk SLCM's because of international Missile Technology Control Regime proliferation rules.[113]

As of March 12, 2015, Poland has expressed interest in purchasing long-range Tomahawk missiles for its future submarines.[114]

In 2022 plans for acquiring Tomahawk missile for the De Zeven Provinciën-class frigates and submarines of The Royal Netherlands Navy are announced as part of the Strategic Defence Review 2022.

Operators
Map with Tomahawk operators in blue

Current operators
 Denmark
  • Royal Danish Navy
 United Kingdom
 United States

Future operators
 Australia
 Canada
  • Royal Canadian Navy
 Netherlands

See also
  • List of missiles
  • Babur (cruise missile)
  • AV-TM 300
  • BrahMos
  • Nirbhay
  • Shaurya
  • Hoveyzeh
  • Hsiung Feng IIE
  • RK-55
  • 3M-54 Kalibr
  • Raduga Kh-55
  • AGM-129 ACM
  • Hyunmoo-3
  • DH-10
  • UGM-89 Perseus
  • ArcLight (missile)
  • MdCN (missile)

References
  1. "US Navy set to receive latest version of the Tomahawk missile". 17 March 2021.
  2. Trevithick, Joseph (October 13, 2021). "The Army Plans To Fire Its Version Of The Navy's SM-6 Missile From This Launcher". The Drive.
  3. "Australia to Buy Tomahawk Cruise Missiles, Will Get at Least Eight Nuclear Submarines". 16 September 2021.
  4. "Canada's New Frigate Will be Brimming with Missiles". 13 November 2020.
  5. "Netherlands prepares to bolster defence". 1 June 2022.
  6. "United States Department Of Defense Fiscal Year 2017 Budget Request Program Acquisition Cost By Weapon System" (pdf). Office Of The Under Secretary Of Defense (Comptroller) / Chief Financial Officer. January 2016. p. 63.
  7. "Anti-Ship Missiles Top Marines $2.95B Fiscal Year 2022 Wishlist". 2 June 2021.
  8. Kristensen, Hans M. (March 18, 2013). "US Navy Instruction Confirms Retirement of Nuclear Tomahawk Cruise Missile". Strategic Security. Federation of American Scientists. Archived from the original on July 9, 2014. Retrieved July 9, 2014.
  9. "Tomahawk". Missile Threat. CSIS. June 15, 2018.
  10. "U.S. Marines Experimenting with Tomahawk for Land-Attack and Anti-Ship Missions". 17 June 2021.
  11. "Raytheon AGM/BGM/RGM/UGM-109 Tomahawk".
  12. Tomahawk cruise missiles proved to be difficult targets for Russian electronic warfare systems - Navyrecognition.com, 18 April 2017
  13. Schlueter, Jim (March 9, 1993). "McDonnell Douglas delivers its first Tomahawk cruise missile with Block III improvements" (Press release). St. Louis: McDonnell Douglas Aerospace. PRNewswire. Archived from the original on 2017-10-11. Retrieved 2019-02-15.
  14. Kristensen, Hans. "US Navy Instruction Confirms Retirement of Nuclear Tomahawk Cruise Missile – Federation Of American Scientists". Retrieved 2021-04-24.
  15. "Tomahawk Cruise Missile | Raytheon". www.raytheon.com. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  16. Burgess, Richard (February 2, 2018). "Nuke Posture: More Flexible Response Posed for Navy Submarines". Sea Power. Archived from the original on February 3, 2018. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
  17. "United States: Cluster Munition Ban Policy". Landmine monitor, US 2011 report. International Campaign to Ban Landmines. 22 October 2010.
  18. Atkinson, Rick (1993). Crusade: The Untold Story of the Gulf War. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 30.
  19. Petty, Dan. "Fact File: Tomahawk Cruise Missile". The US Navy. Archived from the original on 27 August 2017. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  20. Pike, John. "BGM-109 Tomahawk – Smart Weapons". Global Security.
  21. "Image Processing For Tomahawk Scene Matching". Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest, Volume 15, Number 3. Geoffrey B. Irani and James P. Christ.
  22. "Tactical Tomahawk Missile". Navy Programs (PDF). Department of Defense. 2002. pp. 219–222. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-02-01. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
  23. "Tactical Tomahawk Weapons Control System (TTWCS)". Lockheed Martin. 23 July 2019.
  24. Company, Raytheon. "Navy Posts Successful Test of Raytheon's Block IV Tomahawk Cruise Missile". www.prnewswire.com. Archived from the original on 2018-05-23. Retrieved 2018-05-22.
  25. Communications, Raytheon Corporate. "Raytheon: Tomahawk Cruise Missile".
  26. Eshel, Tamir (17 January 2017). "Tomahawk Cruise Missiles to Become Dual-Mission, Assume Anti-Ship Role". Defense Update. Raytheon.
  27. U.S. Navy Completes First Test of New Warhead for Tomahawk Block IV Missile - Raytheon press release via PRNewswire.com, 24 October 2010
  28. Navy Wants Its Tomahawks to Bust More Bunkers Archived 2014-02-15 at the Wayback Machine - Defensetech.org, 14 February 2014
  29. "FBO.gov has moved". fbohome.sam.gov.
  30. Raytheon Corporate Communications. "Raytheon". Archived from the original on 12 November 2014. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  31. Facing End of Tomahawk Production, Raytheon Plays Industrial Base Card Archived 2015-09-04 at the Wayback Machine - Nationaldefensemagazine.org, 2 April 2014
  32. New Seeker Could Put Tomahawk In Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile Race - Aviationweek.com, 12 November 2014
  33. US Navy: More Can Be Done If Risks Are Accepted Archived 2015-12-03 at the Wayback Machine - Militarytimes.com, 1 December 2015
  34. Pentagon Budget Requests $2B for Tomahawks, $2.9B for SM-6 - Defensenews.com, 3 February 2016
  35. Beckhusen, Robert (February 10, 2016). "Ship-Killing Missiles Are the Pentagon's Big Budget Winner". War is Boring.
  36. Eshel, Tamir (6 February 2015). "Enhanced Tomahawk cruise missile engages moving targets". Defense Update. Raytheon.
  37. U.S. Navy Anti-Ship Tomahawk Set for Surface Ships, Subs Starting in 2021 - News.USNI.org, 18 February 2016
  38. US Navy, Raytheon demonstrate network-enabled Tomahawk cruise missiles in flight - Raytheon press release via PRNewswire, 5 October 2015
  39. Tomahawk Missiles Will Get Twice As Deadly By Blowing Up Their Own Fuel - Popular Mechanics, 15 January 2016
  40. "Raytheon delivers first batch of Block V Tomahawk Missiles to US Navy". 26 March 2021.
  41. Entire Navy Tomahawk Missile Arsenal Will Upgrade To Block V. USNI News. 22 January 2020.
  42. "Revolutionizing Tomahawk fuel". Los Alamos National Laboratory. 20 April 2020.
  43. GAO (October 1997). Test and evaluation impact of DOD. DIANE Publishing. ISBN 978-1428979291. Retrieved 2013-08-30.
  44. "AGM-109/BGM-109 Tomahawk". Forecast International. January 2007. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  45. "Pentagon Tests New Missile System, Weeks After a U.S./Russia Nuclear Arms Treaty Collapsed". Time. Retrieved 2019-08-20.
  46. "The US Just Launched a Long-Outlawed Missile. Welcome to the Post-INF World". Defense One. Retrieved 2019-08-20.
  47. "SLAM Supersonic Low-Altitude Missile". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
  48. Robinson, John (5 September 1996). "Tomahawk launch breaks submarine silence". Defense Daily. Archived from the original on 4 September 2015.
  49. Paul F Foster (PDF), Navy.
  50. "Pittsburgh IV (SSN 720)". Navy. Archived from the original on 2017-05-11. Retrieved 2017-04-27.
  51. Pike, John (13 January 1993). "Operation Southern Watch". Global Security.
  52. Pike, John. "Operation Deliberate Force". Global security.
  53. "2nd Cruise Missile Strikes in Iraq". Emergency. 9 February 2005. Archived from the original on 9 February 2005.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  54. Pike, John. "Operation Desert Strike". Global security.
  55. Michaels, J. (19 March 2013). The Discourse Trap and the US Military: From the War on Terror to the Surge. Springer. ISBN 9780230372054 – via Google Books.
  56. Pike, John. "Operation Desert Fox Order of Battle". Global Security.
  57. Koplow, David A. (30 November 2009). Death by Moderation: The U.S. Military's Quest for Useable Weapons. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781139484015 – via Google Books.
  58. Holmes, Tony (20 November 2012). F-14 Tomcat Units of Operation Enduring Freedom. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781782007357 – via Google Books.
  59. Pike, John. "BGM-109 Tomahawk - Operational Use". Global Security.
  60. Pike, John. "BGM-109 Tomahawk - Smart Weapons". Global Security. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  61. "U.S. Forces Fire Missiles Into Somalia at a Kenyan". The New York Times. 4 March 2008.
  62. Nathan Hodge, 'US strikes Al-Qaeda target located in southern Somalia," JDW, 12 March 2008 (Vol 45, Issue 11), p.18
  63. Cruise Missiles Strike Yemen. ABC News (2009-12-18). Retrieved on 2013-08-16.
  64. "Live blog: allied airstrikes continue against Gadhafi forces". CNN. 2011-03-20.
  65. "Libya: Navy running short of Tomahawk missiles". Telegraph. 23 March 2011. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  66. "U.S. launches first missiles against Gadhafi forces". CNN. 2011-03-19. Archived from the original on 2014-02-22. Retrieved 2011-03-19.
  67. "U.S. aviators rescued; Gadhafi remains defiant". CNN. 11 May 2011.
  68. "Sept. 23: U.S. Military, Partner Nations Conduct Airstrikes Against ISIL in Syria". U.S. Central Command. 23 September 2014. Archived from the original on 25 September 2014. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  69. "Al-Qaeda Khorasan cell in Syria attack 'was imminent'". BBC News. 23 September 2014. Retrieved 23 Sep 2014.
  70. Dan, Lamothe (13 October 2016). "Navy launches Tomahawk missiles at rebel sites in Yemen after attacks on U.S. ships". The Washington Post. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  71. "Statement from Pentagon Spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis on U.S. strike in Syria". U.S. Central Command. 7 April 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  72. Laura Smith-Spark; Barbara Starr (7 April 2017). "US investigates possible Russia role in Syria chemical attack". CNN.
  73. Starr, Barbara; Diamond, Jeremy (April 7, 2017). "Trump launches military strike against Syria". CNN.
  74. Westcott, Ben (11 April 2017). "US missile strike took out 20% of Syria's airforce, Mattis claims". CNN.
  75. Faith Karimi; Jason Hanna (7 April 2017). "What you need to know about US strike on Syrian air base". cnn.com. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
  76. "4 children among 9 civilians dead in US airstrike on Syria strike: state media". The Express Tribune. 7 April 2017. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
  77. Rosenfeld, Everett (7 April 2017). "Trump launches attack on Syria with 59 Tomahawk missiles". CNBC. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
  78. "Why didn't the US crater Syria's runways?". The National.
  79. "Syrian warplanes take off from same air base US bombarded". New York Post. 7 April 2017.
  80. Ensor, Josie (8 April 2017). "Syrian warplanes take off once again from air base bombed by US Tomahawks". Telegraph. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
  81. "ISI first to analyze Shayrat airfield missile attack". ImageStat International. Archived from the original on 13 April 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  82. "Syrian jets take off from air base hit by US". ABC News. 8 April 2017. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
  83. "Russia plans to bolster Syrian air defences, and derides US over 'extremely low' effectiveness of bombing". The Independent. 7 April 2017. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
  84. Hennessy-Fiske, Molly; Bulos, Nabih (7 April 2017). "Syrians report 15 dead in U.S. airstrike". Los Angeles Times. Irbil. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  85. Konashenkov, Igor (7 April 2017). "MoD to hold briefing after US strike in Syria – TAPE FEED". RT. Archived from the original on 2021-12-11. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  86. "Nine Syrian planes destroyed by US strike on airfield". ITV News. 7 April 2017.
  87. "Latest update from Syrian airbase attacked by US Navy". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 7 April 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  88. Dolejší, Karel (7 April 2017). "Pokud Trump nařídí útok na Asada, má v kapse "velkou" dohodu s Putinem" [If Trump orders an attack on Assad, he has "big" deal with Putin]. Britské listy (in Czech). Retrieved 8 April 2017.
  89. Dolejší, Karel (7 April 2017). "Noční útok v Sýrii: Rusové byli varováni, tedy i Asad. Provoz ostřelované základny lze obnovit v řádu týdnů" [Night attack in Syria: The Russians have been warned, including Assad. Operation bombarded bases can be restored in a matter of weeks]. Britské listy. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
  90. "The Latest: Group says at least 4 killed in US Syria attack". Idaho Statesman. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  91. "Syrian monitor says airbase almost destroyed in strike". Reuters UK. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  92. Jenny Gathright (April 14, 2018). "PHOTOS: 2 Syrian Chemical Weapons Sites Before And After Missile Strikes". NPR.
  93. Gareth Davies (April 14, 2018). "Syria fired 40 missiles 'at nothing' after allied air strikes destroyed three Assad chemical sites". The Telegraph – via Yahoo News.
  94. Peter Beaumont; Andrew Roth (14 April 2018). "Russia claims Syria air defences shot down 71 of 103 missiles". The Guardian.
  95. "Astute Class Submarines". BAE Systems Maritime – Submarines. BAE Systems. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
  96. "New Royal Navy Submarine Fires First Tomahawk Missiles Across North American Skies". Royal Navy/MOD. Archived from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
  97. "Awesome Astute "surpassed every expectation" on her toughest test yet". Royal Navy/MOD. Archived from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
  98. "Astute on show in the world's biggest naval base". Royal Navy/MOD. Archived from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
  99. "House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 2 Nov 1999 (pt 7)". Archived from the original on 16 October 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  100. "House of Commons Hansard Written Ministerial Statements for 21 Apr 2004 (pt 1)". Archived from the original on 16 October 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  101. "World-Class Missile Achieves In-Service Date". Royal Navy LIVE. 4 April 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-10-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  102. "United Kingdom - Tomahawk Block IV Torpedo Launched Land-Attack Missiles". Defense Security Cooperation Agency. 1 July 2014.
  103. "Daily Hansard - Written Answers to Questions". UK Parliament. 17 May 2011. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  104. "Royal Navy looking to 'increase lethality' of Type 31 Frigates". UK Defence Journal. 2 November 2021. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  105. "£265 million missile upgrade for UK submarines". GOV.UK. 31 May 2022. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  106. "General Dynamics/McDonnell Douglas BGM-109G "Gryphon" Ground-launched Cruise Missile". Archived from the original on February 17, 2006.
  107. Army Picks Tomahawk & SM-6 For Mid-Range Missiles. Breaking Defense. 6 November 2020.
  108. "Royal Canadian Navy Unveils New Details on CSC Frigates". 9 November 2020.
  109. Prime Minister; Minister for Defence; Minister for Foreign Affairs; Minister for Women (16 September 2021). "Australia to pursue Nuclear-powered Submarines through new Trilateral Enhanced Security Partnership". Prime Minister of Australia (Press release). Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  110. No Tomahawks for defence, jets up for sale - New Europe
  111. "Defensa comunica a EE UU que no comprará misiles Tomahawk". El País. 12 October 2009 – via elpais.com.
  112. "Japanese Government Rejects TLAM/N Claim". Federation Of American Scientists. Archived from the original on 31 January 2013. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  113. "Submarine Proliferation: Israel Current Capabilities". Archived from the original on July 4, 2007. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  114. "Poland To Launch Sub Tender, Eyes Tomahawks". Defense News. 12 March 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  115. "US Army's first mid-range missile battery coming in FY23 with 3 to follow". 21 June 2021.
  116. "Raytheon Awarded $217M Tomahawk Missiles Contract for Navy, Marines, Army". 25 May 2022.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to BGM-109 Tomahawk.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.