Friday, September 03, 2010

Tomahawk

IOC: 1984

BGM-109B Tomahawk

Also Known As
TASM

Origin
United States of America

Contractor/s
Raytheon

Family Members
BGM-109A Tomahawk
Tactical Tomahawk
Tomahawk Block II
Tomahawk Block III

Description: The BGM-109 Tomahawk missile is a long range, land attack, subsonic, cruise missile launched from surface ships and submarines. The Tomahawk missiles fly at extremely low altitudes at subsonic speeds, and are piloted over an evasive route by several mission tailored guidance systems. Its propulsion system consists of a Williams International F107-WR-402 cruise turbo fan engine and a solid fuel booster. Radar detection of Tomahawk cruise missile is difficult because the missile's low radar cross section and low altitude flight. In addition F107 engine emits little heat.

The baseline Tomahawk cruise missile uses a Terrain Contour Matching (TERCOM), INS and Digital Scene Matching Area Correlation (DSMAC) guidance system. Late models add a GPS capability to the guidance system. The Tomahawk can be armed with a W-80 nuclear warhead, a 1,000-pound unitary warhead and a general purpose submunition dispenser with combined effects bomblets. The Tomahawk cruise missiles are delivered to ships and submarines as an all-up-round, including the missile, the booster and the container.

The Tomahawk cruise missile was used for the first time in 1991 during the Desert Storm in Iraq. Since then the Tomahawk missile has been used against the former Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Sudan and recently Iraq during operation Iraqi Freedom (2003).

The TASM anti-ship Tomahawk variant was designed to engage ships at long ranges. The TASM features an active radar seeker. All TSAM were deactivated.

Specifications
Dimensions: Diameter 533 mm, Length 6.3 m, Width 2.6 m

Weights: Max Weight 1,360 kg (2,998 lb), Warhead 450 kg (992 lb)

Performance: Max Range 560 km (302 nm), Top Speed 250 mps (Mach 0.75)

Operators

United States of America / Retired - No Longer Operational

Notes
(*) lead contractor
IOC: Initial Operating Capability
FOC: Full Operating Capability
CEP: Circular Error Probable
Comm: Commissioning Date
Meters (m) Kilometers (km) Nautic Miles (nm) Inch (in) Yard (yd) Foot (ft) Millimeter (mm)
Pound (lb) Kilogram (kg) kN (KiloNewton) Ton (t)
Meters per Second (mps) Kilometers per Hour (kph) Knot (kt) Miles per Hour (mph)
Liter (l) Galon (gl)
Year (yr) Minutes (min) Second (sec)
Shaft-Horse-Power (shp)

Last Updated: Sunday, August 01, 2010

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