The San Diego Union-Tribune March 20, 2003
Tomahawks, fighters strike Baghdad
Research by Anne Magill, Merrie Monteagudo / Union-Tribune
U.S. forces launched a strike against Iraq last night. The strikes used more than three dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles and dropped bombs from F-117A Nighthawk stealth jets. Tomahawks were launched from warships and submarines.
The Navy's Tomahawk cruise missile is the weapon of choice for precision strikes against high-value or heavily defended targets. First used in Operation Desert Storm, the Tomahawk has gone through numerous improvements in range and accuracy. Upgrades include the addition of Global Positioning System (GPS) guidance ability, which reduces mission planning time and provides the option for missions guided by GPS only.
GRAPHIC: 3 GRAPHICS | 2 MAPS | 1 DRAWING; 1,2,3,4,5. SOURCES: Program Executive Office Strike Weapons and Unmanned Aviation; Jane's Information Group; GlobalSecurity.org; Associated Press; Knight Ridder / Tribune | Research by ANNE MAGILL, MERRIE MONTEAGUDO and DAVID HASEMYER / Union-Tribune | DAVID HARDMAN / Union-Tribune;
1. Tomahawk at a glance
2,3. Tomahawk's range -- With a range of more than 700 miles, a Tomahawk missile launched off the coast of Bahrain can easily reach Baghdad. For comparison, that's roughly the distance from San Diego to Grand Junction, Colo., or Santa Fe, N.M.
4. Air fighters -- Some of the aircraft the military is using against Iraq.
5. Ready for action -- San Diego-based ships in the Middle East capable of launching guided missiles.
6. CONSTELLATION FACTS -- The aircraft carrier Constellation bears the name of the first ship to be commissioned in the U.S. Navy. It carries a crew of 3,150 officers and enlisted personnel and an air wing 2,480 strong with about 75 aircraft.
Copyright © 2003, The San Diego Union-Tribune
