Armored Box Launcher [ABL]

The Tomahawk Armored Box Launcher [ABL] were added to a variety of ships in the early 1980s. In 1984 they were added to the Virginia CGN, creating the first "Strike Cruiser," replacing a leaky helicopter hanger at the stern. Each ABL could hold four Tomahawks. Two Tomahawk missiles were launched from Virginia's port ABL into Baghdad from the Eastern Med during the 1991 Gulf War.