Cruise missile "Tomahawk": history of creation, description, characteristics

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:54

After the Second World War, the situation in the Western fleets was quite difficult. On the one hand, there were no problems with their number. On the other hand, there were difficulties with their qualitative composition. At that time, our country already had ships with powerful missile weapons, while the Western powers did not even have that. The basis of their fleets were ships armed with old artillery systems and torpedoes.

At that time, it all looked like a terrible anachronism. The only exceptions were the cruiser (the prototype of our TAKR) "Long Beach" and the nuclear aircraft carrier "Enterprise". That is why, at the end of the 60s, feverish work began on the creation of guided cruise missiles, which were capable of dramatically increasing the combat capability of the fleets. This is how the Tomahawk cruise missile was born.

First experiments

Of course, work in this direction was carried out before that period, so the first samples appeared quickly enough,being based on relatively old developments. The very first option was a 55-inch missile designed for use with Polaris-type launchers, which by then were supposed to be retired. She was supposed to be able to fly 3,000 miles. The use of outdated launchers made it possible to get by with "little bloodshed" when re-equipping old ships.

The second option was a smaller 21-inch missile designed to be launched from submarine torpedo tubes. It was assumed that in this case the flight range would be about 1500 miles. Simply put, the cruise missile (USA) "Tomahawk" would become the trump card that would allow blackmailing the Soviet fleet. Did the Americans achieve their goal? Let's find out.

Contest Winners

In 1972 (phenomenal speed, by the way) the final version of the launcher for new cruise missiles was already selected. At the same time, the provision on their exclusively naval basing was finally approved. In January, the state commission has already selected two of the most promising candidates to participate in full-scale tests. The first applicant was the products of the well-known company General Dynamics.

It was the UBGM-109A. The second sample was released by a little-known (and poorly lobbied) company LTV: the UBGM-110A missile. In 1976, they began to be tested by running mock-ups from a submarine. In general, none of the highest ranks made a secret of the fact that the winners had already recognized model 109A in absentia.

New recommendations

In early March, the State Commission decided that it was the American Tomahawk cruise missile that should become the main caliber of all US surface ships. Four years later, the first launch of a prototype is made from the side of an American destroyer. In June of the same year, successful flight tests of the boat version of the rocket took place. This was a big event in the history of the entire history of the fleet, as it was the first launch from a submarine. Over the next three years, new weapons were intensively studied and tested, about a hundred launches were made.

In 1983, Pentagon officials announced that the new Tomahawk cruise missile had been fully tested and was ready for serial production. Around the same time, domestic developments in similar areas were in full swing. We think that you will be curious to learn about the comparative characteristics of domestic equipment and weapons of a possible enemy during the Cold War. So, Tomahawk and Caliber cruise missiles, comparison.

Comparison with Caliber

• Hull length without booster ("Tomahawk"/"Caliber") - 5, 56/7, 2 m.
• Length with starting booster - 6, 25/8, 1 m.
• Wingspan - 2, 67/3, 3 m.
• Weight of non-nuclear warhead - 450 kg (US/RF).
• The power of the nuclear option is 150/100-200 kT.
• Tomahawk cruise missile flight speed - 0.7 M.
• Caliber speed - 0.7 M.

But onflight range, it is impossible to make an unambiguous comparison. The fact is that the American army is armed with both new and old modifications of missiles. The old ones are equipped only with a nuclear warhead and can fly up to 2,600 km. The new ones carry a non-nuclear warhead, the range of the Tomahawk cruise missile is up to 1,6 thousand km. Domestic "Caliber" can carry both types of filling, the flight range is 2.5/1.5 thousand km, respectively. In general, according to this indicator, the characteristics of weapons are practically the same.

This is what the cruise missiles "Tomahawk" and "Caliber" are characterized by. Comparing them shows that the capabilities of both types of weapons are approximately identical. This is especially true for speed. The Americans have always noted that this indicator is higher for their missiles. But the latest Caliber upgrades fly no slower.

Basic Specifications

The new armament is made according to the monoplane aircraft scheme. The body is cylindrical, the fairing is ogive. The wing can be folded and recessed into a special compartment located in the central part of the rocket, a cruciform stabilizer is located behind. For the manufacture of the case are various options for aluminum alloys, epoxy resins and carbon fiber. All of them have extremely low aerodynamic resistance, since the speed of the Tomahawk cruise missile is very high. Any “roughness” with such characteristics is dangerous, since the body can simply fall apart into pieces.go.

To minimize the visibility of the device for locators, a special coating is applied to the entire surface of the case. In general, in this regard, the Tomahawk cruise missile (the photo of which you will see in the article) is noticeably better than its competitors. Although experts agree that the prevailing role in ensuring ste alth for locators belongs to the flight pattern, in which the missile flies, making maximum use of the terrain features, and at a minimum altitude.

Characteristics of the warhead

The main "highlight" of the missile is the W-80 warhead. Its weight is 123 kilograms, length is one meter, diameter is 30 cm. The maximum detonation power is 200 kT. The explosion occurs after direct contact of the fuse with the target. When using a nuclear weapon, the diameter of destruction in a densely populated area can reach three kilometers.

One of the most important features that distinguishes the Tomahawk cruise missile is its very high pointing accuracy, due to which this ammunition is able to hit small and maneuvering targets. The probability of this is from 0.85 to 1.0 (depending on the base and the place of launch). Simply put, the accuracy of the Tomahawk cruise missile is very high. A non-nuclear warhead has some armor-piercing effect, it can include up to 166 small-caliber bombs. The weight of each charge in this case is 1.5 kilograms, all of them are in 24 bundles.

Control and targeting systems

High targeting accuracy is ensured by combined work at oncemultiple telemetry systems:

• The simplest of them is inertial.
• The TERCOM system is responsible for following the contours of the terrain.
• DSMAC's electro-optical referencing service allows a missile to be guided directly to its target with exceptional accuracy.

Characteristics of control circuits

The simplest system is the inertial one. The mass of this equipment is 11 kilograms, it works only at the initial and middle stages of the flight. It consists of: an on-board computer, an inertial platform and a fairly simple altimeter, which is based on a reliable barometer. Three gyroscopes determine the amount of deviation of the rocket body from a given course and three accelerometers, with the help of which the on-board electronics determines the acceleration of these accelerations with high accuracy. This system alone allows for a heading correction of approximately 800 meters per hour of flight.

Where more reliable and accurate than DSMAC, the most advanced version of which have Tomahawk BGM 109 A cruise missiles. It should be noted that for the operation of this equipment, a digitized survey of the area over which the Tomahawk will fly over must first be loaded into the memory of the equipment. This allows you to set the binding not only to the coordinates, but also to the terrain. A similar scheme, by the way, is used not only by the American Tomahawk cruise missile, but also by the domestic Granit.

Information about launch methods and settings

On ships forstorage and launch of this type of weapons can be used both regular torpedo tubes and special vertical launch silos (as for submarines). If we talk about surface ships, then container launchers are mounted on them. It should be noted that the ship's cruise missile "Tomahawk", the characteristics of which we are considering, is stored in a special steel capsule, being "mothballed" in a layer of nitrogen under high pressure.

Storage in such conditions not only guarantees the normal operation of the device for 30 months at once, but also puts it in a conventional torpedo shaft without the slightest modifications to the design of the latter.

Features of launch mechanisms

American submarines have four standard torpedo tubes. They are located two on each side. The location angle is 10-12 degrees, which makes it possible to carry out a torpedo salvo from the maximum depth. This circumstance can significantly reduce the unmasking factors. The tube of each apparatus consists of three sections. As in domestic torpedo silos, American missiles are located on supporting rollers and guides. Firing is triggered based on the opening or closing of the vessel's lid, making it impossible to "shot in the foot" when the torpedo explodes in the submarine itself.

There is a viewing window on the rear cover of the torpedo tube, with which you can monitor the filling of its cavity and the condition of the mechanisms,pressure gauge. The conclusions from the ship's electronics are also attached there, which controls the processes of opening the covers of the apparatus, their closing and the direct launch process. The Tomahawk cruise missile (you will read its characteristics in the article) is fired from the mine due to the operation of hydraulic drives. One hydraulic cylinder is installed for every two vehicles on each side, it works as follows:

• First, a certain amount of compressed air is supplied to the system, which acts simultaneously on the hydraulic cylinder rod.
• Due to this, he begins to supply water to the cavity of the torpedo tubes.
• Because they fill with water quickly from the rear section, the cavity is pressurized enough to propel a missile or torpedo.
• The whole structure is made in such a way that only one apparatus can be connected to the pressure tank at a time (that is, two on both sides). This prevents uneven filling of the cavities of the torpedo tubes.

As we have already said, in the case of surface ships, vertically located launch containers are used. In their case, there is an expelling powder charge, which allows you to slightly increase the flight range of the Tomahawk cruise missile by saving the resource of its sustainer engine.

Managing the shooting process

For carrying out all the preparatory stages and, in fact, the launch, not only the specialists standing at combat posts are responsible, but also the fire control system (aka CMS). Its components are located both in the torpedo room itself and on the command bridge. Of course, you can only give the order to launch from a central point. Duplicate instruments are also displayed there, showing the characteristics of the rocket and its readiness for launch in real time.

One important feature of the American naval formations should be noted. They use a sophisticated automated adjustment and integration system. Simply put, several submarines and surface ships armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles, the performance characteristics of which are available in the article, can act as a single “organism” and fire missiles at the same target almost simultaneously. Given the high probability of hitting, even an enemy ship or ground grouping with a powerful and layered air defense system will almost certainly be destroyed.

Cruise Missile Launch

After the launch order is received, pre-flight preparation begins, which should take no more than 20 minutes. At the same moment, the pressure in the torpedo tube is compared with that at the depth of immersion, so that nothing interferes with the launch of the rocket.

All data required for firing is being entered. When a signal arrives, the hydraulics push the rocket out of the silo. It always comes to the surface at an angle of about 50 degrees, which is achieved as a result of the stabilization systems. Shortly thereafter, the squibs drop the fairings, the wings and stabilizers open, and the propulsion engine turns on.

During this time, the rocket manages to fly up toa height of approximately 600 m. On the main part of the trajectory, the flight altitude does not exceed 60 meters, and the speed reaches 885 km / h. First, guidance and course correction is carried out by an inertial system.

Modernization works

Currently, the Americans are working to increase the flight range immediately up to three or four thousand kilometers. It is planned to achieve such indicators through the use of new engines, fuel, as well as reducing the mass of the rocket itself. Research is already underway to create new materials based on carbon fiber that will be very strong and light, but at the same time cheap enough to be mass-produced.

Secondly, it is planned to significantly improve the accuracy of aiming at the target. This is supposed to be achieved through the introduction of new modules into the design of the rocket, responsible for accurate satellite positioning.

Thirdly, the Americans would not mind increasing the launch depth from 60 meters to (at least) 90-120 meters. If they succeed, the launch of the Tomahawk will become even more difficult to detect. I must say that domestic designers are currently working on almost the same tasks, but in relation to our "Granite". In addition, work is underway in the field of reducing the radar visibility of the missile and counteracting air defense systems.

For this purpose, it is planned to use more powerful computer systems for close interaction with their interference suppression devices. If aall this will work in a complex, and the speed will also be increased, then the Tomahawks will be able to effectively pass through many layered air defense systems.

A unique feature of modern American-made missile launchers is the ability to use them as UAVs: the missile can fly near the intended target for at least 3.5 hours, and during this time it transmits all received data to the control center.

Combat use

For the first time, new missiles were widely used during the notorious operation "Desert Storm", which was initiated in 1991 and directed against the Iraqi authorities. The Americans launched 288 Tomahawks from submarines and ships of the surface flotilla. It is believed that at least 85% of them have achieved the set goals. During the numerous military conflicts in which the United States has participated from 1991 to the present, they have spent at least 2,000 cruise missiles of various modifications. However, only non-nuclear munitions were used.