Transcript Tomahawk Cruise Missile

Tomahawk
Cruise Missile
Richard Bly
Overview
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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
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first operational use was in Operation Desert Storm (1991)
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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
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Background
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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
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the next generation Tomahawk® cruise missile
adds the capability to reprogram the missile while inflight 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
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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
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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
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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
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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. Followon 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.