Tomahawk Missile -The Ultimate Standoff Weapon

Written by admin on Thursday, August 29th, 2013

With things heating up in Syria after chemical weapons were determined to be used by al-Assad’s military, it’s being proposed by U.S. government officials that an attack on specific Syrian targets might occur as early as today and the weapon of choice for the attack will undoubtedly be the Tomahawk missile.

The Tomahawk missile has been in use by the U.S. Navy, British Royal Navy and the U.S. Air Force since 1991 and with a 1,000 pound warhead and a range of over 1,000 nautical miles, it is the weapon of choice when the risk of manned bombers is too high or too political. The Tomahawk missile can be launched by battleship, destroyer, frigate, cruiser, or even submarine and engages a boost phase rocket motor that is intended to accelerate the missile to its subsonic cruise airspeed and wings that deploy to assist with lift and maneuvers. Once underway, the missile cruises at a maximum order valium no rx range airspeed but can accelerate to a maximum speed of 550 mph and uses GPS for initial navigation for turn points and Terrain Contour Matching (TERCOM) to assist in navigation by comparing terrain mapping and radar altimeter data. Once in the target area the Tomahawk missile will use GPS or TERCOM to guide to its final aimpoint but also has the capability to be retargeted while airborne if the scenario changes.

The Tomahawk missile has been used in Desert Storm, Bosnia, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and the Libyan conflict and might be used in Syria. With governments around the world weighing options on how to proceed with Syria given the recent confirmation of chemical attacks, the Tomahawk missile stands at the ready in the Mediterranean Sea, in the magazines of U.S. Navy warships ready to be launched, to carry their message of retaliation against the Syrian regime responsible for the deadly chemical attacks.

If you want advice about the world of military aviation, there’s no better people to turn to than men and women who have sat in the cockpit and flown some of the world’s most advanced aircraft. With over 50 current and ex-warfighters on call, Strike Fighter Consulting Inc. can give you access to up-to-date, first-hand technical and tactical expertise.