The Tomahawk cruise missile: history of creation, description, characteristics

After the Second World War, the Western fleets developed a rather complicated situation. 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, whereas this was not the case with Western powers. The basis of their fleets were ships, armed with old artillery systems and torpedoes.

At that time, it all looked like an awful anachronism. Exceptions were only the cruiser (prototype of our TAKR) Long Beach and the nuclear carrier Enterprise. That is why in the late 60's, feverish work began to create controlled cruise missiles, which were able to dramatically improve the combat capability of fleets. Thus the Tomahawk cruise missile was born.

The first experiments

Of course, work on this direction was carried out and up to that period, so that the first samples appeared quickly enough, being based on comparatively old developments. The first option was a 55-inch rocket designed for use with Polaris-type launchers, which by that time were already supposed to be disarmed. It was assumed that she could fly for 3000 miles. The use of outdated launchers allowed us to do "little blood" when re-equipping old ships.

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

Winners of the contest

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 position on exclusively maritime basing was finally approved. In January, the State Commission has already selected two of the most promising candidates to participate in full-scale trials. The first applicant was the products of the well-known company General Dynamics.

It was model UBGM-109A. The second sample was released by a little known (and badly lobbied) firm LTV: rocket UBGM-110A. In 1976, they began to test, launching the navigation models from the submarine. In general, none of the highest officials and did not hide that the winners in absentia have already recognized the model 109A.

New Recommendations

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

In 1983, representatives of the Pentagon said that the new cruise missile Tomahawk was fully tested and ready for the start of mass production. At about 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 of the Cold War. So, the cruise missiles Tomahawk and Caliber, a comparison.

Comparison with Caliber

• The length of the body without a starting accelerator ("Tomahawk" / "Caliber") is 5.56 / 7.2 m.
• Length with the starting amplifier - 6,25 / 8,1 m.
• The wingspan is 2.67 / 3.3 m.
• The mass of the non-nuclear warhead is 450 kg (US / RF).
• The power of the nuclear option is 150 / 100-200 kT.
• The flight speed of the Tomahawk cruise missile is 0,7 M.
• The caliber's speed is 0,7 M.

But on the range of flight to make an unambiguous comparison is impossible. The fact is that in the arsenal of the American army there are both new and old versions of missiles. The old ones are equipped with only a nuclear warhead and can fly up to 2.6 thousand km. New carry a non-nuclear warhead, the range of the cruise missile "Tomahawk" is up to 1,6 thousand km. Domestic "Calibers" can carry both types of fillings, 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 characterizes the cruise missiles Tomahawk and Caliber. Comparing them shows that the capabilities of both types of weapons are approximately identical. Especially it concerns speed. Americans have always noted that this indicator is higher for their missiles. But the recent modernization of the Caliber does not fly at all slower.

Basic technical specifications

A new example of weapons is made in accordance with the airplane layout of the monoplane. The body is cylindrical, the cowling is of an ozhivalnoy form. The wing can be folded and recessed into a special compartment located in the central part of the rocket, behind it is a cruciform stabilizer. Various variants of aluminum alloys, epoxy resins and carbon-fiber plastic are used for making the case. All of them have an extremely low aerodynamic resistance, since the speed of the cruise missile "Tomahawk" is very high. Any "roughness" with such characteristics is dangerous, as the case can simply collapse on the move.

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 respect the cruise missile "Tomahawk" (the photo of which you will see in the article) is noticeably better than competitors. Although experts agree that the prevailing role in ensuring the invisibility of locators belongs to the flight scheme, in which the missile flies, making maximum use of the terrain features, and at the minimum height.

Characteristics of the military unit

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

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

Control and guidance systems for the target

High accuracy of aiming at the target is provided due to the combined operation of several telemetry systems:

• The simplest of them is the inertial one.
• For following the outline of the terrain, the TERCOM system is responsible.
• The DSMAC electron-optical binding service allows the flying rocket to be delivered directly to the target with exceptional accuracy.

Characteristics of control schemes

The simplest system is inertial. The mass of this equipment is 11 kilograms, it works only at the initial and middle stage of the flight. It consists of: an on-board computer, an inertial platform and a fairly simple altimeter, based on a reliable barometer. Three gyroscope determine the magnitude of the deviation of the missile body from a given course and three accelerometers, by means of which the on-board electronics determine the acceleration of these accelerations with high accuracy. This system alone allows you to adjust the course by about 800 meters for every hour of flight.

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

Information about startup methods and settings

On ships for storing and launching this type of armament, both standard torpedo tubes and special vertical launch mines (as for submarines) can be used. If we talk about surface ships, then they install container launchers. It should be noted that the Tomahawk cruise missile, the characteristics of which we are considering, is stored in a special steel capsule, being "suspended" in the nitrogen layer under high pressure.

Storage in such conditions not only allows to guarantee the normal operation of the device for at least 30 months, but also to place it in a conventional torpedo shaft without the slightest modification of the design of the latter.

Features of startup mechanisms

There are four standard torpedo tubes on American submarines. They are located two from each side. The angle of the location is 10-12 degrees, which makes it possible to perform a torpedo volley from a maximum depth. This circumstance allows to significantly reduce the unmasking factors. The tube of each apparatus consists of three sections. As in domestic torpedo mines, American missiles are located on support rollers and guides. Shooting is triggered depending on the opening or closing of the cover of the device, which makes it impossible to "shoot in the foot" when the torpedo explodes in the submarine itself.

On the back cover of the torpedo tube there is an observation window with which you can monitor the filling of its cavity and the state of the mechanisms, a manometer. The same conclusions are attached to the ship's electronics, which controls the opening of the covers of the device, their closing and the immediate start-up process. The Tomahawk cruise missile (its characteristics you will read in the article) is fired from the mine due to the operation of hydraulic drives. One hydraulic cylinder is installed for every two vehicles per side, it works as follows:

• First, a certain volume of compressed air is fed into the system, which acts simultaneously on the rod of the hydraulic cylinder.
• Due to this, it begins to feed water into the cavity of the torpedo tubes.
• Since they are filled with water quickly, starting from the rear section, an excess pressure is created in the cavity sufficient to expel the rocket or torpedo.
• The whole design is made so that only one machine (that is, two from both sides) can be connected at the same time with a discharge tank. This prevents uneven filling of the cavities of the torpedo shafts.

As we have already said, in the case of surface ships, vertically arranged launch containers are used. In their case, there is an excruciating powder charge, which makes it possible to slightly increase the range of the Tomahawk cruise missile by saving the resource of its march engine.

Managing the shooting process

For carrying out all the preparatory stages and, in fact, launching, not only the specialists standing at the combat posts, but also the fire control system (also the SSU) are responsible. Its components are located both in the torpedo compartment and on the command bridge. Of course, you can give the order to launch only from the central point. There also are duplicating devices showing the characteristics of the rocket and its readiness to launch in real time.

One important feature of American naval forces should be noted. They use a sophisticated automated system of adjustment and integration. Simply put, several submarines and surface ships with Tomahawk cruise missiles, the TTX of which is available in the article, can act as a single "organism" and launch missiles for the same purpose almost simultaneously. Given the high probability of hitting, even a ship or ground grouping of the enemy with a powerful and echeloned air defense system will almost certainly be destroyed.

Launching a cruise missile

After the receipt of the order for the launch, preflight preparation begins, which should not take more than 20 minutes. At the same time, the pressure in the torpedo tube is compared with that at the depth of the dive, so that the launch of the rocket does not interfere.

Input of all the data necessary for the shooting is made. When the signal comes, the hydraulics pushes the rocket out of the mine. On the surface it always comes out at an angle of about 50 degrees, which is achieved as a result of the operation of stabilization systems. Soon after that, the pyroclutons are dumped, the wings and stabilizers are opened, the engine is turned on.

During this time the rocket manages to fly to a 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, the guidance and exchange rate adjustment is carried out by the inertial system.

Works on modernization

Currently, Americans are working to increase the range of the flight immediately to three or four thousand kilometers. Achieve such indicators are planned by using new engines, fuel, as well as reducing the mass of the rocket itself. Research is already underway in the field of creating new materials based on carbon plastic, which will be very strong and light, but at the same time cheap enough that they can be launched into mass production.

Secondly, it is planned to significantly improve the accuracy of guidance on the target. This is to be achieved by introducing into the design of the rocket the new modules responsible for precise satellite positioning.

Thirdly, Americans would not mind to increase the depth of launch from 60 meters to (at least) 90-120 meters. If they succeed, the fact of launching Tomahawk will become even more difficult to detect. It must be said that domestic designers are currently working on almost the same tasks, but with respect to our Granite. In addition, work is under way to reduce the radar visibility of the missile and counter the air defense facilities.

For this purpose, it is planned to use more powerful computer systems for close interaction with their interference cancellation devices. If all this works in a complex, and also the speed is increased, the Tomahawks will be able to efficiently pass through many echeloned air defense systems.

A unique feature of modern US-made CR is the possibility of using them in the role of UAV: a missile can fly about the intended target for at least 3.5 hours, and at this time it transfers all the data to the control center.

Combat application

For the first time, new missiles were widely used during the notorious Desert Storm operation, which was initiated in 1991 and was directed against the Iraqi authorities. From the submarines and ships of the surface fleet, the Americans launched 288 Tomahawks. It is estimated that at least 85% of them have reached the set goals. During the numerous military conflicts in which the United States participated from 1991 to the present, they spent at least 2000 cruise missiles of various modifications. However, at the same time exclusively non-nuclear ammunition was used.