Washington DC (Washington Insider Magazine) — The UGM-109 Tomahawk is a jet engine-powered, subsonic cruise missile that can be launched from surface ships, submarines, and aircraft. It is designed for use against land targets with hardened bunkers or buildings. This missile can also be used for precision strikes against other surface ships. The UGM-109 Tomahawk has an operational range of 1,000 nautical miles. Its flight time is around 30 minutes. This weapon can also be armed with several different warheads and guidance systems which include: GPS/INS, radar guidance, inertial guidance, and terminal guidance.
Description
The UGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missile is an autonomous, reusable, and recoverable air-launched cruise missile with a range of over 300 miles. It is designed to be launched from the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles. The unitary war head can be launched on a preplanned mission or in response to a target of opportunity. A key feature of the
It is a surface-to-surface missile with a low-level, radar-guided, infrared-homing warhead. Other missile integrates onto the block iv tomahawk and is designed to attack high-value targets. It was developed in the United States during the Cold War as a replacement for unguided bombs that could be delivered by both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters.
Specifications
- Primary Function: Long-range, all-weather, subsonic cruise missile for striking high-value or heavily defended land targets
- Contractor: Raytheon Systems Company, Tucson, AZ.
- Date Deployed: Block II TLAM-A IOC – 1984 / Block III – IOC 1994 / Block IV – IOC 2004
- Unit Cost: Approximately $ 1.87M (Block IV / FY 2017)
- Propulsion: Williams International F107-WR-402 cruise turbo-fan engine; ARC/CSD solid-fuel rocket booster
- Length: 18 feet 3 inches (5,56 meters) / with booster: 20 feet 6 inches (6,25 meters)
- Diameter: 20.4 inches (51.81 cm)
- Wingspan: 8 feet 9 inches (2,67 meters)
- Weight: 2900 pounds (1315 kg); 3500 pounds (1,587 kg) with booster
- Speed: subsonic – about 550 mph (880 km/h)
- Flight altitude: 98-164 feet (30-50 meters) above ground level
- Guidance System: Block II TLAM-A – INS, TERCOM / Block III TLAM-C, D & Block IV TLAM-E – INS, TERCOM, DSMAC, and GPS
Buyers
- United Kingdom: Royal Navy
- United States: US Navy
- US Army: US Marine Corps
- Australia: Royal Australian Navy
- Canada: Royal Canadian Navy
- Japan: Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
- Netherlands: Royal Netherlands Navy
Recent Use In Battlefield
The UGM-109 Tomahawk has been in combat use for over a year now. It has been a success in every situation. The Tomahawk was first used in combat in March of last year during Operation Inherent Resolve. It was used in combination with Hellfire missiles to take down an ISIS tank.
The submunition dispenser equipped with the missile has been a great success in every situation and it is expected to play a large role in future combat operations. It is a powerful missile that has seen extensive use since its debut in 1989, with over 3,600 delivered since then. It was used successfully during Operation Desert Storm in 1991 and subsequently saw action in other conflicts.
In 2014, the U.S. Navy fired 47 missiles against Islamic State targets in Syria. Three years later, a new missile was launched that was ignited to propel the missile. It launched 59 more at a Syrian air base. The 3000th Block IV missile was delivered to the U.S. Navy as part of Full Rate Production (FRP) on January 14, 2014. It can attack submarines and other weapons.
The U.S. Department of Defense has selected the RGM/UGM-109E Tomahawk Block IV, also known as Tactical Tomahawk, for the Navy. This missile striking high value or heavily defended land targets. This variant features a two-way satellite data link that can be used to switch the target while in flight.
The submarine launched can redirect it to new ones or make them loiter over the battlefield until a specific one is found. The royal navy in ship and submarine based land attack operations help to make the attack stronger. Additionally, its size enables it to fit on torpedo tubes and be deployed from a range of surface ships and submarines.
FAQS
1. What Is The Tomahawk?
The Tomahawk is a ground-attack missile system developed by Lockheed Martin. It is a shoulder-fired, anti-tank weapon that can be launched from the ground, sea, or air. What sets it apart from other missiles is its precision and its ability to defeat targets that are protected by armor.
2. What Can The Tomahawk Do?
The Tomahawk has a variety of capabilities, but some of the main ones are as follows:
- Can be used against armored vehicles and structures
- Can strike targets at long distances
- Has a high degree of accuracy
3. How Does The Tomahawk Work?
This missile is fired from a shoulder-mounted launcher, and it uses a two-stage guided missile to reach its target. The first stage is a radar-guided missile that helps the Tomahawk to lock onto its target.
4. How Is The Tomahawk Used?
The Tomahawk can be used in a variety of ways. It can be used against armored vehicles and structures on the battlefield. This can be used to strike targets at long distances resulting in ship and submarine based land attack operations.
5. What Are The Features Of the UGM-109 Tomahawk?
The UGM-109 Tomahawk is a main battle tank used by the United States Army. The tank weighs around 65 tons and is armed with a 120mm smoothbore cannon and an M1A2 Abrams turret. It is said to be able to fire three rounds a minute.
6. What Is Made UGM-109 Tomahawk?
The land attack missile tlam is composed of depleted uranium and steel, making it resistant to small arms fire, artillery, and mines. It is also capable of withstanding chemical warfare agents such as mustard gas, nerve agents, and phosphorous. The tank has a crew of four including the driver and commander.
Read More: UGM-133 Trident II: Specifications, Buyers & Recent Use In Battlefield
7. How UGM-109 Tomahawk Is Fired?
The UGM-109 Tomahawk land attack missile is a single-stage, jet-powered, anti-ship missile that can be fired from various platforms including aircraft, ships, and land vehicles. The Tomahawk was first deployed in the United States Navy in the early 1980s.
