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NNS020827-02 Tactical Tomahawk Takes Flight

Release date: 8/27/2002 9:22:00 AM

From NAVAIR Public Affairs

NAVAL AIR STATION PATUXENT RIVER, Md. (NNS) -- The Navy's next generation Tomahawk cruise missile, the Tactical Tomahawk, took flight recently at the Naval Air Sytems Command (NAVAIR) Western Test Range Complex in Calif. as part of the contractor test and evaluation phase.

The missile was launched vertically from a ground test stand, and transitioned to cruise flight for the land attack mission. The missile flew a fully guided 550-mile flight using global positioning system (GPS) and digital scene matching area correlation (DSMAC) navigation updates. Additionally, the Tactical Tomahawk demonstrated two capabilities unique to this weapon system; in flight retargeting and satellite communication.

The Tactical Tomahawk, or Block IV, is the latest variant of the Navy's premiere cruise missile, due to reach the fleet in 2004. The Tomahawk is ship and submarine launched, and was first employed operationally during Desert Storm. Since then, the missile has been heralded for its accuracy and lethality. The Tactical Tomahawk will boast several enhancements including mission planning onboard the launch platform, in-flight retargeting, loiter and battle damage assessment capability, and in-flight health and status reports. These capabilities increase fleet effectiveness, while significantly reducing acquisition and life cycle costs.

"This missile represents the latest in the revolution in strike warfare technology," said Navy Capt. Bob Novak, program manager for the Tomahawk All-Up-Round missile. "It is a perfect example of industry and government teaming together to maximize taxpayer dollars by developing greater fire power with increasingly efficient technologies."

As in all Tomahawk flight tests, air route safety was carefully planned in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration. For safety purposes, the missile could have been guided by commands from safety chase aircraft.

The Tomahawk program is managed by the Program Executive Office, Strike Weapons and Unmanned Aviation. The manufacturer of the Tomahawk is Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Az.