NAVY FACT FILE
TOMAHAWK CRUISE MISSILE

MISSION: Long range, subsonic cruise missile, conventionally armed for anti-surface warfare, and conventionally and nuclear armed for land attack versions.

COMMENTARY: Tomahawk is an all-weather submarine/surface combatant launched anti-ship or land attack cruise missile. After launch, a solid propellant rocket booster propels the missile until a small turbofan engine takes over for the cruise portion of the flight. The land attack version of Tomahawk has an inertial and terrain contour matching (TERCOM) guidance. TERCOM uses a stored map reference to compare with the actual terrain. This determines the
missile's position. If necessary, a course correction is then made to place the missile on course to the target. The anti-ship version has a modified Harpoon cruise missile guidance system. This permits Tomahawk to be launched and fly at low altitudes in the general direction of an enemy warship to avoid radar detection. At a programmed distance, the missile begins an active radar search to seek out, acquire and hit the target ship.

Tomahawk is a highly survivable weapon against predicted hostile defense systems. Radar detection is difficult because the missile has a very small cross-section and can fly at extremely low altitudes. Similarly, infrared detection is difficult because the turbofan engine emits a low level of heat. The anti-ship variant of Tomahawk uses a combined active radar seeker and passive system to seek out, engage and destroy a hostile ship at long range. The Tomahawk weapon system is dual-sourced and is built by both General Dynamics/Convair and McDonnell Douglas Astronautics
Company.

CHARACTERISTICS (BGM-109)
Length: 18 feet, three inches; with booster, <R>20 feet, six inches
Diameter: 20.4 inches
Wing Span: Eight feet, nine inches
Weight: 2,650 pounds; 3,200 pounds with <R>booster
Speed: Subsonic - about 550 mph
Range: Land attack, nuclear warhead, 1,350 nautical miles; land attack, conventional warhead, 600 nautical miles;
anti-ship configuration, over 250 nautical miles
Power Plant: Williams International F107-W-R-400 cruise
turbo-fan engine; solid-fuel booster
Warhead: Conventional - 1,000 pounds bullpup; Nuclear - W-80 conventional submunitions dispenser with combined effect bomblets
Contractors: General Dynamics, Convai Division; McDonnell Douglas


SOURCE: Public Affairs Office; Cruise Missile Project; 2511
Jefferson Davis Highway; Arlington, VA 22202; (202) 692-0565