The U.S. Navy and Raytheon will highlight several significant milestones for the Tomahawk cruise missile at the 2012 Sea-Air-Space Exposition.
“The government and our industry partners should be proud of the continued successes of Tomahawk including the 2,000th combat expenditure and the 500th flight test launch in 2011,” said Capt. Joe Mauser, the U.S. Navy’s Tomahawk Weapons System program manager. “Tomahawk offers commanders unmatched precision, reliability and capability.”
Other milestones in 2011 included launching Tomahawk from an SSGN submarine for the first time during combat operations and the qualification of the U.K. Royal Navy’s Astute-class submarines.
“The more than 370 Raytheon employees who build Tomahawk and support its depot are committed to the weapon’s reliability because they understand Tomahawk’s vital role in the security of the U.S. and its allies,” said Harry Schulte, vice president of Raytheon Missile Systems’ Air Warfare Systems. “It is safe to say that no other tactical cruise missile in the world can come close to matching Tomahawk’s reliability, accuracy or track record.”
With a range of more than 1,200 kilometers (1,000 statute miles), the Tomahawk Block IV is a surface- and submarine-launched precision strike stand-off weapon. Tomahawk is designed for long-range precision strike missions against high-value and heavily defended targets, like integrated air defense systems.
Tomahawk Block IV employs a two-way satellite datalink that enables a strike controller to flex the missile in flight to preprogrammed alternate targets or redirect it to a new target. This targeting flexibility includes the capability to loiter over the battlefield and await a more critical target.
