How much does an American tomahawk cruise missile cost. The Tomahawk cruise missile is the modern hatchet of war. The problem of comparing "Caliber" and "Tomahawk"

06.03.2020

The sea-launched Tomahawk missile system includes surface- or underwater-launched cruise missiles, launchers, a missile fire control system, and auxiliary equipment.

Cruise missile (CR) "Tomahawk" BGM-109 was created in two main versions: strategic (modifications A,C,D) - for firing at ground targets and tactical (modifications B, E) - for the destruction of surface ships. Their structural design and flight performance are identical. All variants, due to the modular principle of construction, differ from each other only in the head part.

Compound

The cruise missile is made according to the aircraft scheme (monoplane), has a cylindrical body with an ogive nose fairing, a wing that folds and sinks into the body in the central part and a cruciform stabilizer in the tail. The case is made of durable aluminum alloys, graphite-epoxy plastic and radio-transparent materials. To reduce radar visibility, a special coating is applied to the hull, wing and stabilizer.

The warhead of the Tomahawk BGM-109A strategic nuclear missile launcher is the W-80 warhead (weight 123kg, length about 1m, diameter 0.27m and power 200kt). Undermining is carried out by a contact fuse. The radius of the destruction zone is 3 km. The high firing accuracy and significant power of the nuclear warhead of the Tomahawk BGM-109A strategic cruise missile make it possible to hit heavily protected small targets with high efficiency. According to American experts, the probability of destroying a protected object that can withstand an overpressure of 70 kg/cm 2 is 0.85 for one Tomahawk missile, and 0.10 for a Poseidon-SZ SLBM.

The BGM-109C strategic non-nuclear missile launcher is equipped with a monoblock (semi-armor-piercing) warhead, and the BGM-109D is equipped with a cluster bomb, which includes up to 166 BLU-97B small-caliber bombs of combined action (each weighing 1.5 kg) in 24 bundles.

The Tomahawk BGM-109 A / C / D control and guidance system is a combination of the following subsystems (see diagram):

inertial,
correlation along the terrain contour TERCOM (Terrain Contour Matching),
electron-optical correlation DSMAC (Digital Scene Matching Area Correlator).

The inertial control subsystem operates in the initial and middle sections of the rocket flight (weight 11 kg). It includes an onboard computer, an inertial platform and a barometric altimeter. The inertial platform consists of three gyroscopes for measuring the angular deviations of the rocket in the coordinate system and three accelerometers that determine the acceleration of these deviations. The subsystem provides determination of the position of the CD with an accuracy of 0.8 km per 1 hour of flight.

The control and guidance system for strategic missiles with conventional warheads BGM-109C and D includes an electro-optical correlation subsystem DSMAC, which can significantly improve firing accuracy (KVO - up to 10m). It uses digital pictures of previously captured areas of the terrain along the route of the RC flight.

To store and launch Tomahawk missiles, submarines use standard torpedo tubes (TA) or special vertical launch installations (VLR) Mk45 (see diagram, photo), and on surface ships, container-type installations Mk143 (see diagram, photo1, photo2) or UVP Mk41.

To store the boat version of the rocket, a steel capsule (weight 454 kg) is used, filled with nitrogen under low pressure (see,). This allows you to keep the rocket ready for use for 30 months. The rocket capsule is loaded into the TA or UVP like a regular torpedo.

American submarines have four bow hydraulic TTs, placed side by side (two each) at an angle of 10-12 ° to the center plane of the ship and provide firing from great depths, which significantly reduces unmasking factors. TA pipes are made of three sections: bow, center and stern. Loading and correct positioning of the capsule with CR in the TA pipes are carried out with the help of guide bars and supporting rollers. The firing mechanism is connected to the drives for opening and closing the covers of the apparatus. The back cover is equipped with a water-measuring and viewing window that allows you to monitor the filling (drainage) of the TA, a pressure gauge, as well as a cable gland connecting the control devices of the KR with the firing control panel. The hydraulic firing system of the KR has a high-pressure pulsed air cylinder, a hydraulic booster and a water system heater. A hydraulic cylinder is installed on each group of two TA pipes of one side. The hydraulic system operates as follows. When high-pressure air is supplied from the ship's main line to the air cylinder, simultaneously with the movement of its piston, the hydraulic cylinder piston sitting on the same rod with it moves. The latter works for his TA group and supplies water to them through an injection tank, which is connected to each apparatus through slotted slots. When the piston moves, water from the injection tank under pressure first enters the aft part of the TA pipe, and then through the holes into the capsule, creating the excess pressure necessary to eject the rocket from the TA. The drive levers for opening the front covers of the HE are interlocked in such a way that only one cover in the group can be opened at a time, and therefore, one apparatus will be connected to the injection tank.

Fire control, control over the state of the CR in the TA and UVP, their verification, launch coordination and accounting for the consumption of missiles are carried out using the fire control system (SMS). Its components on the submarine are located in the central post and the torpedo room. In the central post of the boat there is a control panel, a computer and a data conversion unit. Display of information and output of control data are made on the display panel of the control panel. On surface ships, the CMS is stored in a container installed in the ship's weapons control room. The system uses software and computer interfaces that allow you to issue target designation and coordinate the firing of Tomahawk missiles at ground targets from one ship to other ships of a formation or group.

The functioning of the missile system is as follows. Upon receiving an order to use missile weapons, the commander announces an alarm and puts the ship on high technical readiness. The pre-launch preparation of the missile system begins, which takes about 20 minutes. On a submarine, when firing from a TA, sea water is fed into the tube of the apparatus and through the holes enters the capsule with the CD. At this moment, a device begins to operate in the rocket, which creates an excess pressure inside its body, approximately equal to the external one, which protects the CR body from deformation. The boat goes to the launch depth (30-60m) and reduces the speed to a few knots. The data necessary for firing are entered into the control and guidance system of the CD. Then the cover of the TA opens, the hydraulic ejection system of the CR is activated, and the rocket is pushed out of the capsule. The latter is ejected from the TA tube some time after the rocket exits. The rocket is connected to the container with a 12m long halyard, when it breaks (after 5 seconds of passing the underwater section of the trajectory), the protection stage is removed and the starting solid propellant rocket engine is switched on. As the water column passes, the pressure inside the CR body decreases to normal (atmospheric), and it emerges from under the water to the surface at an angle of 50°.

When firing from the UVP Mk45, the shaft cover opens, the rocket ejection system is turned on, and the excess pressure created by the gas generator pushes the rocket out of the shaft. When exiting, it destroys the membrane of the capsule that held back the pressure of sea water, vertically goes to the surface and, having made a turn, switches to the programmed flight path. After 4-6s after the release of the CR from under the water or with the end of the launch solid propellant rocket launcher, the tail thermal fairing is dropped by pyrotechnic charges and the rocket stabilizer is opened. During this time, the KR reaches a height of 300-400m. Then, on the descending branch of the launch section, about 4 km long, the wing panels open, the air intake extends, the starting solid propellant rocket is fired at the expense of the pyrobolts, the sustainer engine is turned on, and the cruise missile switches to the specified flight path (60 seconds after the start). The flight altitude of the rocket is reduced to 15-60m, and the speed is up to 885km/h. The control of the missile during its flight over the sea is carried out by the inertial control subsystem, which ensures the launch of the CR to the first correction area (as a rule, it is several kilometers away from the coast). The size of this area depends on the accuracy of determining the location of the launch platform and the error of the inertial control subsystem of the CR, accumulated during the flight of the rocket over the water surface.

Along with equipping ships with Tomahawk missiles, the United States is conducting a large-scale program for the development and improvement of sea-based cruise missiles, which provides for:

Increasing the firing range to 3-4 thousand km due to the development of more efficient engines and fuels, reducing the weight and size characteristics. In particular, the replacement of the F-107 turbofan engine with its modification, according to American experts, gives an increase in thrust by 19 percent. and a 3% reduction in fuel consumption. Thanks to the replacement of the existing turbofan engine with a propfan engine in combination with a special gas generator, the flight range will increase by 50% with unchanged weight and size characteristics of the rocket.
improving the accuracy of targeting up to several meters by equipping the CR with the receiving equipment of the NAVSTAR satellite navigation system and a laser locator. It includes an active forward looking infrared sensor and a CO 2 laser. The laser locator makes it possible to carry out the selection of fixed targets, navigation support and speed correction.
increase in launch depths of CR with PLA when using a more powerful starting solid propellant rocket motor;
reducing the impact of air defense and missile defense systems in the combat use of cruise missiles. It is planned to reduce the impact of air defense systems and increase the combat stability of the CR by reducing its radar visibility, increasing the number of flight programs, and the possibility of their quick replacement or adjustment during the missile flight. For this purpose, it is planned to use more efficient computers and satellite communications.

The latest modification of the RGM / UGM-109E Tac Tom Block 4 (tactical Tomahawk) was offered to the fleet in 1998 by Raytheon as a cheap replacement for the previous generation of missiles. The main goal of the Tac Tom program was a rocket that would be significantly, almost three times cheaper ($569,000) to manufacture than the previous TLAM-C/D Block 3 model (about $1.5 million).

The body of the rocket, including the aerodynamic surfaces, is almost entirely made of carbon fiber materials. The number of stabilizer feathers has been reduced from four to three. The rocket is powered by a cheaper Williams F415-WR-400/402 turbofan engine. The disadvantage of the new product was the impossibility of firing through a torpedo tube. The guidance system has new capabilities for identifying targets and retargeting in flight. The missile can be re-programmed in flight via satellite (Ultra High Frequency) communications for any 15 pre-defined additional targets. The missile has the technical ability to barrage in the area of the intended target for three and a half hours at a distance of four hundred kilometers from the launch point until it receives a command to hit the target, or it can be used as an unmanned aerial vehicle for additional reconnaissance of an already hit target.

The total order of the Navy for a new missile in the period from 1999 to 2015 amounted to more than three thousand units.

In 2014, Raytheon began test flights of an improved Block IV modification to attack surface and limitedly mobile ground targets. The new active radar seeker IMS-280 with AFAR X-band (2) in the range of 10-12 GHz (wavelength - 2.5 cm) is capable of autonomously determining by the reflected electromagnetic signal, comparing it with the archive of signatures of potential targets stored in the on-board computer : "own" - "foreign" ship or civilian ship. Depending on the answer, the missile independently decides which target to attack. The new GOS will be installed instead of the optoelectronic module AN / DXQ-1 DSMAC. The total amount of fuel is reduced to 360 kilograms, the operational range of the missile is from 1600 to 1200 kilometers.

Tactical and technical characteristics

Firing range, km
BGM-109A when launched from a surface ship	2500
BGM-109C/D when launched from a surface ship	1250
BGM-109C/D when launched from a submarine	900
Maximum flight speed, km/h	1200
Average flight speed, km/h	885
Rocket length, m	6.25
Rocket body diameter, m	0.53
Wingspan, m	2.62
Starting weight, kg
BGM-109A	1450
BGM-109С/D	1500
Warhead
BGM-109A	nuclear
BGM-109С	semi-armor-piercing - 120kg
BGM-109D	cassette - 120kg
F-107 sustainer engine
Fuel	RJ-4
Fuel mass, kg	550
Dry engine weight, kg	64
Thrust, kg	272
Length, mm	940
Diameter, mm	305

They will rain fire from heaven. Like a gust of "divine wind", sweeping away enemy battalions from the face of the Earth. Winged suicide robots. They are braver than the most daring kamikaze and ruthless than the most fierce SS Sonderkommandos.

Not a single muscle trembles in the face of death. Machines are not afraid to kill and die. They are already dead to begin with. And, if necessary, they will vanish without hesitation in a blinding flash when they collide with the target.

In the meantime ... the rocket rushes through the darkness of the night to the place of its death.
An hour ago, she left the cozy cell on board the submarine and, breaking through a layer of cold water, jumped to the surface. The booster flames roared, lifting the Tomahawk to a height of 1,000 feet. There, on the descending branch of the launch site, the engine air intake extended, short wings and tail plumage opened: the combat robot rushed after the head of its victim. Now nothing will save the unfortunate ones, whose photographs are embedded in the memory of the flying killer...

Myth #1. Tomahawk decides everything.

Nikita Sergeevich, are you still here?!

Missile euphoria does not leave the minds and hearts: the impressive capabilities of the Ax gave rise to the belief that the use of cruise missiles alone can bring victory in any war.

Why risk an expensive plane and the priceless life of a pilot? These endless training and advanced training of flight personnel. Airfields, fuel, ground staff…
Why such difficulties and unjustified risk, if you can drive a squadron of submarines and bombard the enemy with thousands of flying suicide robots? The flight range of the "Ax" in the "conventional" version - 1200 ... 1600 km - allows you to complete the task without entering the enemy army's zone of destruction. Simple, effective and safe.

12 launchers in the bow of the Los Angeles-class submarine

The mass of the missile warhead is 340 kg. There are a dozen different types of warheads for various types of targets: cluster, armor-piercing, semi-armor-piercing, "normal" high-explosive warheads ... Several attack algorithms: from level flight, from a dive, with detonation during a horizontal flight over the target. All this allows you to perform almost any task on enemy territory.

Eliminate the selected target, destroy any object of military or civilian infrastructure. Smash an airfield runway, set fire to a hangar with military equipment, knock down a radio tower, blow up a power plant, break through several meters of earth and concrete - and destroy a protected command post.

Continuous work is underway to expand the tactical flexibility of using cruise missiles: the latest modification of the RGM / BGM-109E Tactical Tomahawk was equipped with satellite communications and GPS navigation units. The new missile is able to barrage in the air, waiting for the right moment to attack. In addition, she received the ability to reprogram in flight and, depending on the situation, attack one of 15 pre-designated targets.

Attack from level flight

The only thing the Tomahawk still can't do is attack moving objects.*

* the possibility of effective destruction of moving targets, incl. ships, was implemented in the Tomahawk modification Block IV Multi-Mode Mission (TMMM), recognized as excessively expensive and never adopted by the US Navy

In addition, there was a modification of the BGM-109B Tomahawk Anti-Ship Missle (TASM) - an anti-ship version of the Tomahawk with an active radar seeker from the Harpoon anti-ship missiles. Due to the lack of a worthy opponent, TASM was decommissioned about 10 years ago.

Intercept a convoy from (for example, S-300 air defense vehicles on the march) or delay an advancing tank battalion? Modern cruise missiles are powerless on such missions. We'll have to call the aircraft.
Front-line bombers, attack aircraft, attack helicopters, UAVs, in the end - these "birds" still have no equal over the battlefield. High tactical flexibility (up to the complete cancellation of the mission and return to base) and a wide range of ammunition make aviation indispensable in the fight against ground targets.

Nevertheless, the trend is clear: the experience of local wars over the past 20 years has demonstrated a 10-fold increase in the role of sea-launched cruise missiles (SLCMs). Every year, Tomahawks acquire new skills and "get permission" to perform more and more complex tasks.

The destroyer USS Barry (DDG-52) bombards Libya as part of Operation Dawn of the Odyssey (2011)

As practice has shown, SLCMs quite successfully “trample” the victim into the Stone Age, destroy the air defense system and disorganize the enemy army. Left in the very first hours of the war without radars, air defense systems, airfields, power plants, fuel storage facilities, cell and radio communication towers, command posts, and other strategically important facilities, the enemy is unable to offer serious resistance. Now you can take it "warm".

In such conditions, super-expensive and complex stealth aircraft and other "raptors" become unnecessary. Bomb bridges and retreating tank columns from an unattainable height? Simple and cheap F-16s can easily cope with such a task.

Myth #2. "Tomahawk" is able to hit the window.

The accuracy of the Tomahawk is the subject of heated debate. During Operation Desert Storm, fragments of American missiles were found even on the territory of Iran - some of the Axes deviated from the course by several hundred kilometers! The result of a programmer's mistake or an accidental failure in the rocket's on-board computer...

But what are the real capabilities of Tomahawks? What is the calculated value of their circular probable deviation (CEP)?

Traditional guidance methods for Tomahawks include:

ANN for flights over terrain with weak radar contrast (for example, over the sea - the water is the same everywhere). Gyroscopes and accelerometers work until the missile arrives in the first correction area over the enemy coast, then guidance is carried out by more high-tech methods.

Reliefometric system Terrain Contour Matching (TERCOM) - scans the underlying relief and compares the data obtained with radar images stored in the rocket's memory.

The very principle of operation of TERCOM serves as an occasion for many jokes: “While the Yankees are preparing a flight mission, our construction battalion will re-dig up the entire relief!” But seriously speaking, TERCOM is one of the most reliable and effective ways to target SLCMs. Tomahawk navigates the terrain autonomously: it does not need constant guidance from the satellite or from a remote operator. This increases reliability and eliminates the risk of being deceived by enemy signals.

On the other hand, this imposes a number of restrictions - for example, TERCOM is ineffective when flying over deserts or snow-covered tundra. The terrain should include a maximum of contrasting objects (hills, roads and clearings, railway embankments, settlements). The route is laid in such a way as to avoid open water spaces (lakes, mouths of large rivers, etc.) on the way of the missile - otherwise, this can lead to critical failures in the missile's navigation system.

All this creates such a problem for the Yankees as the "predictability" of their missile strikes and, as a result, an increase in losses among the missiles fired. The enemy (if, of course, he has at least a drop of ingenuity) will quickly figure out the main directions of the threat - and put up air defense systems there.

The third way of guidance. The DSMAC optoelectronic system in the final section of the trajectory of the rocket behaves like the legendary Terminator from the action movie by James Cameron: it continuously scans the area with its electronic “eye”, comparing the appearance of the “victim” with a digital photograph embedded in its memory. The future has already arrived!

Finally, the latest modification of the "Ax" received the ability to point according to GPS data. This greatly simplifies the process of preparing for the launch, because. there is no need for complex maps for TERCOM operation (routes and radar images of the terrain are prepared in advance, on the shore - in the flight mission preparation centers at the Norfolk Naval Base and Camp Smith).

In the case of operating in the GPS navigation mode, the crew of the ship can independently "drive" the coordinates into the missile's memory, without any specific description of the target - then the missile will do everything by itself, simply exploding near the specified place. Reduced accuracy, but increased efficiency. Now SLCMs can be used as a means of fire support and work on emergency calls to Marines.

In polygon conditions, in the presence of high-quality images of the "target", the value of the circular probable deviation of the "Tomahawk" is indicated within 5 ... 15 meters. And this is with a launch range of 1000 or more kilometers! Impressive.

Myth #3. The Tomahawk is easy to shoot down.

Well, do it! Does not work?...

The safety of the "Ax" is ensured by its secrecy. The extremely low flight altitude - only a few tens of meters - makes it invisible to ground-based radars. The radio horizon in this case does not exceed 20-30 km, and if we take into account natural obstacles (hills, buildings, trees), the detection of a low-flying missile, which cleverly hides in the folds of the relief, seems to be a very doubtful event.

Boat for special operations based on the missile carrier "Ohio". In total, 154 "Tomahawks" are placed in 22 missile silos of the ship + 2 silos are used as lock chambers for combat swimmers

To detect, take on escort and hit such a "difficult target" from the ground - this requires a lot of luck and, preferably, knowledge of the most likely routes for the approach of "Tomahawks". Accident, nothing more. There is no need to talk about any effective counteraction to flocks of SLCMs.

No less difficult is the interception of the "Ax" with the help of air means - the small size and EPR of the rocket make the "hunt for Tomahawks" an extremely difficult undertaking.

Dimensions SLCM "Tomahawk": length - 5.6 m, wingspan - 2.6 m.
For comparison - the dimensions of the Su-27 fighter: length - 22 meters, wingspan - 14.7 meters.

The "ax" has a smooth, streamlined shape, without any radio-contrast details and suspension elements. The Yankees hint at the use of radio-absorbing coatings and radio-transparent materials in its design. Even without taking into account the elements of stealth technology, the effective dispersion area of the Tomahawk missile does not exceed 1 sq. meters - too small to detect it from a distance. Finally, the search for a flying missile is carried out against the background of the earth, which introduces additional difficulties into the operation of fighter radars.

Official data on the MiG-31 interceptor confirm the following: from a height of 6000 meters, target capture with an EPR of 1 square. meter flying at a height of 60 meters is produced at a distance of 20 km.
Considering that only one SSGN on the Ohio platform is capable of launching up to 154 SLCMs, the required number of fighters to repel an attack will exceed the capabilities of the air forces of any of the countries against which the Yankees are going to fight.

The wreckage of the downed Tomahawk at the Belgrade Aviation Museum

In practice, the situation looked like this: during the NATO aggression against Yugoslavia, the US and British navies fired about 700 Tomahawks at targets on the territory of the FRY. Official Serbian sources give figures of 40 ... 45 SLCMs shot down, NATO representatives do not agree and give even lower numbers. In general, the situation is sad: the Serbian military barely managed to shoot down 5% of the missiles fired at them.
It is noteworthy that one of the "Axes" was shot down by a Serbian MiG-21 - the pilot made visual contact with him, approached and shot the robot from the onboard gun.

Myth number 4. "Tomahawks" are suitable only for war with the Papuans.

The cost of the Tomahawk missile, depending on its modification and type of warhead, can reach $2 million. To release 500 of these "things" means to ruin the US budget by 1 billion green banknotes.
Flight range 1200 ... 1600 km. Warhead 340 kg. Combined guidance system - relief metric TERCOM, DSMAC, satellite communication and navigation systems. Starting weight within one and a half tons. Carriers - destroyers and nuclear submarines.

No, gentlemen. Such a destructive and expensive weapon was not created to exterminate the unfortunate inhabitants of Papua New Guinea. Tomahawk should be used wisely; just throwing two million rockets across the desert is an unheard of extravagance even for wealthy Yankees.

Launch of the Tomahawk SLCM from the nuclear-powered cruiser USS Mississippi (CGN-40), Operation Desert Storm, 1991. The missile is launched from an armored launcher Mk.143 Armored Launch Box

You don't need to have a brain to determine the purpose of cruise missiles - a deafening blow to the military and civilian infrastructure of an adversary that has some military potential: Syria, Iran, Iraq, Yugoslavia ... Against those who are able to snap back and put up resistance.

In these cases, the Yankees take out their "insurance policy" from their sleeves - a flock of flying killers that will "clear" the corridors in the country's air defense system, disorganize the enemy army and allow NATO aircraft to seize air supremacy. The cruise missile "Tomahawk" is not subject to any treaties and conventions on the limitation of weapons - which means that you can not be shy and launch "Axes" left and right without any remorse.

As for the usual Basmachi with Berdanks, the Yankees smear them with 105 mm howitzers installed in the openings on the sides of the AS-130 gunships. Tomahawk missiles and other high-tech are useless there.

Myth number 5. "Tomahawks" are a danger to Russia

Russia, along with India and China, is one of the few countries that can ignore the US Navy and its saber-rattling. The Tomahawk is a purely tactical weapon for local wars. With Russia, such a chip will not work - the Russian General Staff will not understand American jokes, and the matter may end in a terrible thermonuclear massacre.

Even in theory, in the presence of a ratified agreement with the United States on the mutual renunciation of the use of nuclear weapons, naval cruise missiles are ineffective against purely continental Russia - all industrial centers, arsenals and strategically important facilities are located a thousand kilometers from the coast, at the limit of the Tomahawks flight range.

As for the possible equipping of the Axes with thermonuclear warheads, this threat would make sense only in the absence of intercontinental ballistic missiles. In the event of a war with the use of Trident-2, a belated strike by cruise missiles (the flight time of the Tomahawks will be calculated in many hours) will no longer matter.

The economical Yankees were well aware of the futility of the Ax as a carrier of nuclear weapons, so they sent all their nuclear SLCMs for scrapping 20 years ago.

The number of nuclear charges in service with the US Armed Forces. Thick line - strategic warheads for ICBMs. Thin line - "tactical" nuclear weapons, incl. "Tomahawks" with SBC

Launch of "Tomahawk" from the bow launcher of destroyer USS Farragut (DDG-99)

Moscow, April 7 - Vesti.Ekonomika. For the first time since the beginning of the long-term conflict in Syria, the United States launched a massive missile attack on the republic's air force base.

Syrian sources said there were casualties. The governor of Homs, Talal al-Barrazi, said that a fire started after the airstrike, and several people were injured. The authorities do not yet have exact information on the number of dead and injured.

Later it became known that civilians living in a village near the base were killed.

US President Donald Trump called the strike a "proportionate response" to an alleged April 4 attack by Syrian authorities on civilians in Idlib.

Thus, the current American president crossed the line that his predecessor Barack Obama did not dare to cross, limiting himself to military support for the Syrian opposition.

According to official information from the Pentagon, the Syrian Air Force's Shayrat airbase was attacked at 4:40 local time (3:40 Moscow time) from the Mediterranean Sea from the destroyers Ross and Porter. 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired. The United States delivered this blow on its own, without the participation of allies.

How much does it cost to launch?

Less than an hour after the airstrikes became known, Donald Trump went to the press and said he was guided by "vital US interests."

The Tomahawk missile was created in the 1970s, but gained notoriety in 1991 during the US invasion of Iraq, where they conducted Operation Desert Storm.

Then Tomahawk missiles were often used to destroy enemy military targets.

Over the past decades, the cost of Tomahawk missiles has increased significantly, due to the use of new technologies and warhead upgrades. Currently, Tomahawk missiles can be launched from ships and other devices.

The current version of the Tomahawk missile allows for a more accurate hit calculation. It can also be reprogrammed during flight so that the target is changed.

The Tomahawk missile program has been around for decades and is worth more than $10 billion, and that's just the development money.

That is, this amount does not include the direct cost of the missiles themselves.

The cost of the Tomahawk missile itself depends on its type. Simpler versions of the missile cost $500,000. According to NBC News, the missiles used in Syria cost about that much.

However, there is a Block IV version of the Tomahawk missile that is more sophisticated and can hit moving targets. Its cost reaches $1.5 million.

According to US media, the total cost of the strike on Syria, which was ordered by President Trump, ranged from $30 million to $100 million.

And if we compare these costs with the losses of Syria in terms of money, then the effectiveness of the strikes will be very low.

The purpose of the strike, according to US officials, was the destruction of military equipment of the Syrian army. But the Shayrat airfield has been used for several months as a "warehouse" for equipment that needs serious repairs or is awaiting decommissioning.

The Syrian military themselves report that six MiG-23s were destroyed, requiring repair, an An-26 transport, partially dismantled and being prepared for disposal, several other small-capacity aircraft, as well as auxiliary equipment in the form of tankers, trucks and cars.

The total damage is estimated at only $3-5 million.

USA vs. ISIS: facts and figures

The United States attacked the Syrian army's Shayrat base. The US has launched more than 50 Tomahawk cruise missiles from ships in the Mediterranean, the Pentagon said.

The United States has long been waging an unofficial war with ISIS (a terrorist organization banned in the Russian Federation).

As of January 31, the cost of the US military campaign in the Middle East reached $6.2 billion, or about $480,000 for every hour of the campaign.

And the costs continue to rise: the Pentagon is asking for an additional $7.5 billion from the budget in order to continue the fight against the terrorist organization.

This is twice the amount allocated in 2016.

Now that Trump has struck in Syria, expect further escalation of the conflict and further military action in the Middle East.

We decided to give some facts and figures about how the US military campaign has developed so far.

The US-led coalition has carried out over 10,200 airstrikes against ISIS targets in Syria and Iraq.

Objects destroyed by the United States during airstrikes in Syria and Iraq

Over 37,000 bombs and missiles were dropped, and more than 50,000 terrorists were killed, according to Pentagon data.

According to other sources, 32,000 targets were hit during the operation, including 164 tanks, 400 vehicles, and 2,638 oil infrastructure facilities.

U.S. and coalition airstrikes destroyed many infrastructures, as well as a money vault that allegedly held millions of dollars that were needed for the operations of the terrorist organization.

The bombing also hit the civilian population. However, exact data on casualties is controversial. According to the Pentagon, there are only 14 such victims. According to monitoring groups, more than 1,000 people died.

American planes dropped so many bombs that the US Air Force Chief of Staff said they were running out of ammunition faster than they could replenish.

After the Second World War, a rather difficult situation developed in the Western fleets. 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, while the Western powers did not even have that. The basis of their fleets were ships armed with old artillery systems and torpedoes.

At that time, all this looked like a terrible anachronism. The only exceptions were the cruiser (the prototype of our TAKR) "Long Beach" and the nuclear aircraft carrier "Enterprise". That is why, at the end of the 60s, feverish work began on the creation of guided cruise missiles, which were capable of dramatically increasing the combat capability of the fleets. This is how the Tomahawk cruise missile was born.

First experiences

Of course, work in this direction was carried out even before that period, so the first samples appeared quite quickly, being based on relatively old developments. The very first option was a 55-inch missile designed for use with Polaris-type launchers, which by then were supposed to be retired. She was supposed to be able to fly 3,000 miles. The use of outdated launchers made it possible to get by with "little blood" when re-equipping old ships.

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

Competition Winners

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 provision on their exclusively naval basing was finally approved. In January, the state commission has already selected two of the most promising candidates to participate in full-scale tests. The first contender was the products of the well-known company General Dynamics.

It was the UBGM-109A model. The second sample was released by a little-known (and poorly lobbied) company LTV: the UBGM-110A missile. In 1976, they began to be tested by running mock-ups from a submarine. In general, none of the higher ranks made a secret of the fact that the winners had already recognized the 109A model in absentia.

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

In 1983, Pentagon officials announced that the new Tomahawk cruise missile was fully tested and ready for mass production. Around 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 during the Cold War. So, cruise missiles "Tomahawk" and "Caliber", comparison.

Comparison with Caliber

Hull length without launch booster ("Tomahawk" / "Caliber") - 5.56 / 7.2 m.
Length with starting amplifier - 6.25 / 8.1 m.
Wingspan - 2.67 / 3.3 m.
The mass of a non-nuclear warhead is 450 kg (USA / RF).
The power of the nuclear version is 150/100-200 kT.
The flight speed of the Tomahawk cruise missile is 0.7 M.
The speed of "Caliber" - 0.7 M.

But in terms of flight range, it is impossible to make an unambiguous comparison. The fact is that both new and old modifications of missiles are in service. The old ones are equipped only with a nuclear warhead and can fly up to 2.6 thousand km. The new ones carry a non-nuclear warhead, the range of the Tomahawk cruise missile is up to 1.6 thousand km. Domestic "Caliber" can carry both types of filling, the flight range is 2.5 / 1.5 thousand km, respectively. In general, according to this indicator, the characteristics of weapons practically do not differ in any way.

This is what the Tomahawk and Caliber cruise missiles are characterized by. Comparing them shows that the capabilities of both types of weapons are approximately identical. This is especially true for speed. The Americans have always noted that this indicator is higher for their missiles. But the latest Caliber upgrades fly no slower.

Basic Specifications

The new model of weapons is made according to the monoplane aircraft scheme. The body is cylindrical, the fairing is ogive. The wing can be folded and recessed into a special compartment located in the central part of the rocket, a cruciform stabilizer is located behind. For the manufacture of the case are various options for aluminum alloys, epoxy resins and carbon fiber. All of them have extremely low aerodynamic resistance, since the speed of the Tomahawk cruise missile is very high. Any “roughness” with such characteristics is dangerous, since the body can simply fall apart on the go.

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

Characteristics of the warhead

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

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

Control and targeting systems

High targeting accuracy is ensured by the combined operation of several telemetry systems at once:

The simplest of them is inertial.
The TERCOM system is responsible for following the contours of the terrain.
The DSMAC electro-optical binding service allows you to bring a flying missile directly to the target with exceptional accuracy.

Characteristics of control circuits

The simplest system is the inertial one. The mass of this equipment is 11 kilograms, it works only at the initial and middle stages of the flight. It consists of: an on-board computer, an inertial platform and a fairly simple altimeter, which is based on a reliable barometer. Three gyroscopes determine the amount of deviation of the rocket body from a given course and three accelerometers, with the help of which the on-board electronics determines the acceleration of these accelerations with high accuracy. This system alone allows for a course correction of approximately 800 meters per hour of flight.

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

About launch methods and settings

On ships, both standard torpedo tubes and special vertical launch silos (as for submarines) can be used to store and launch this type of weapon. If we talk about surface ships, then container launchers are mounted on them. It should be noted that the ship's cruise missile "Tomahawk", the characteristics of which we are considering, is stored in a special steel capsule, being "mothballed" in a layer of nitrogen under high pressure.

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

Features of launch mechanisms

American submarines have four standard torpedo tubes. They are located two on each side. The location angle is 10-12 degrees, which makes it possible to carry out a torpedo salvo from the maximum depth. This circumstance can significantly reduce the unmasking factors. The tube of each apparatus consists of three sections. As in domestic torpedo silos, American missiles are located on supporting rollers and guides. Firing is initiated depending on the opening or closing of the cover of the device, which makes it impossible to "shot in the foot" when the torpedo explodes in the submarine itself.

On the back cover of the torpedo tube there is a viewing window, with which you can monitor the filling of its cavity and the state of the mechanisms, with a pressure gauge. The conclusions from the ship's electronics are also attached there, which controls the processes of opening the covers of the apparatus, their closing and the direct launch process. The Tomahawk cruise missile (you will read its characteristics in the article) is fired from the mine due to the operation of hydraulic drives. One hydraulic cylinder is installed for every two vehicles on each side, it works as follows:

First, a certain volume of compressed air is supplied to the system, which acts simultaneously on the hydraulic cylinder rod.
Due to this, he begins to supply water to the cavity of the torpedo tubes.
Since they fill with water quickly, starting from the rear section, an overpressure is created in the cavity, sufficient to push the rocket or torpedo.
The whole structure is made in such a way that only one apparatus can be connected to the pressure tank at a time (that is, two on both sides). This prevents uneven filling of the cavities of the torpedo shafts.

As we have already said, in the case of surface ships, vertically located launch containers are used. In their case, there is an expelling powder charge, which allows you to slightly increase the flight range of the Tomahawk cruise missile by saving the resource of its sustainer engine.

Shooting process management

For carrying out all the preparatory stages and, in fact, the launch, not only the specialists standing at combat posts are responsible, but also the fire control system (aka CMS). Its components are located both in the torpedo room itself and on the command bridge. Of course, you can only give the order to launch from a central point. Redundant instruments are also displayed there, showing the characteristics of the rocket and its readiness for launch in real time.

One important feature of the American naval formations should be noted. They use a sophisticated automated adjustment and integration system. Simply put, several submarines and surface ships armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles, the performance characteristics of which are available in the article, can act as a single “organism” and fire missiles at the same target almost simultaneously. Given the high probability of hitting, even an enemy ship or ground grouping with a powerful and layered air defense system will almost certainly be destroyed.

Cruise missile launch

After the launch order is received, pre-flight preparation begins, which should take no more than 20 minutes. At the same moment, the pressure in the torpedo tube is compared with that at the depth of immersion, so that nothing interferes with the launch of the rocket.

All data required for firing is entered. When a signal arrives, the hydraulics push the rocket out of the silo. It always comes to the surface at an angle of about 50 degrees, which is achieved as a result of the stabilization systems. Shortly thereafter, the squibs drop the fairings, the wings and stabilizers open, and the main engine is turned on.

During this time, the rocket manages to take off 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, guidance and course correction is carried out by an inertial system.

Modernization works

At present, the Americans are working to increase the flight range up to three or four thousand kilometers at once. It is planned to achieve such indicators through the use of new engines, fuel, as well as reducing the mass of the rocket itself. Research is already under way to create new materials based on carbon fiber that will be very strong and light, but at the same time cheap enough to be mass-produced.

Secondly, it is planned to significantly improve the accuracy of targeting. This is supposed to be achieved through the introduction of new modules into the design of the rocket, responsible for accurate satellite positioning.

Thirdly, the Americans would not mind increasing the launch depth from 60 meters to (at least) 90-120 meters. If they succeed, the launch of the Tomahawk will become even more difficult to detect. I must say that domestic designers are currently working on almost the same tasks, but in relation to our "Granite". In addition, work is underway in the field of reducing the radar visibility of the missile and counteracting air defense systems.

For this purpose, it is planned to use more powerful computer systems for close interaction with their interference suppression devices. If all this works in combination, and the speed is also increased, then the Tomahawks will be able to effectively pass through many layered air defense systems.

A unique feature of modern American-made missile launchers is the ability to use them as UAVs: the missile can fly near the intended target for at least 3.5 hours, and during this time it transmits all received data to the control center.

Combat use

For the first time, new missiles were widely used during the notorious Desert Storm operation, which was initiated in 1991 and directed against the Iraqi authorities. The Americans launched 288 Tomahawks from submarines and ships of the surface flotilla. It is believed that at least 85% of them have achieved the set goals. During the numerous military conflicts in which the United States has participated from 1991 to the present, they have spent at least 2,000 cruise missiles of various modifications. However, only non-nuclear munitions were used in this case.

Tomahawk(Eng. BGM-109 Tomahawk, ['tɒmə‚hɔ:k] - Tomahawk) is an American multi-purpose high-precision subsonic cruise missile (KR) of long range, strategic and tactical purposes. It is in service with ships and submarines of the US Navy, and has been used in all significant military conflicts involving the United States.

BGM-109 Tomahawk was developed in a number of modifications, including:

Sea-launched missiles SLCM (eng. Sea-Launched Cruise Missile): BGM-109A/…/F, RGM/UGM-109A/…/E/H
Ground-Launched Cruise Missiles GLCM (Eng. Ground-Launched Cruise Missile): BGM-109G
MRASM (Medium-Range Air-to-Surface Missile) air-launched missiles: AGM-109C/H/I/J/K/L

Story

In 1971, the leadership of the US Navy initiated work to study the possibility of creating a strategic cruise missile (CR) with an underwater launch. In the initial phase of the work, two options for CR were considered:
The first option envisaged the development of a heavy submarine-launched missile launcher with a long flight range of up to 3,000 miles (5,500 km) and the deployment of missiles on board five George Washington and five Eten Allen SSBNs in UGM-27 Polaris SLBM launchers. (diameter 55 inches), removed from service. Thus, SSBNs became carriers of strategic SSGN cruise missiles.

The second option involved the development of a lighter missile launcher for 533 mm (21 inches) submarine torpedo tubes with a range of up to 1,500 miles (2,500 km).

On June 2, 1972, a lighter version for torpedo tubes was chosen, and in November of the same year, contracts were issued to the industry for the development of the SLCM (English Submarine-Launched Cruise Missile) - a submarine-launched cruise missile.
In January 1974, the two most promising projects were selected for participation in competitive demonstration launches, and in 1975, the projects of General Dynamics and Ling-Temco-Vout (LTV) (eng. Ling-Temco-Vought) were assigned designations ZBGM-109A and ZBGM-110A, respectively (the prefix "Z" in the designation is status, and in the US DoD designation system was used to designate systems that are "on paper", that is, at an early stage of development).

In February 1976, the first attempt to launch a prototype YBGM-110A (prefix "Y" in the designation) from a torpedo tube (TA) ended unsuccessfully due to a malfunction of the TA. The second attempt was also not successful, due to non-disclosure of the wing consoles. In March 1976, given two flawless launches of the YBGM-109A prototype and its less risky design, the US Navy declared the BGM-109 missile the winner of the SLCM program competition, and work on the BGM-110 project was discontinued.

At the same time, the naval leadership decided that SLCM should also be adopted by surface ships, so the meaning of the acronym SLCM was changed to English. The Sea-Launched Cruise Missile is a sea-launched cruise missile (SLCM). Flight tests of the YBGM-109A, including the TERCOM (Terrain Contour Matching) terrain correction system, continued for a number of years.

In January 1977, the administration of President Jimmy Carter initiated a program called the Joint Cruise Missile Project (JCMP), which directed the Air Force and Navy to develop their cruise missiles on a common technology basis. At this time, the US Air Force was developing the AGM-86 ALCM (Air-Launched Cruise Missile) air-launched cruise missile. One of the consequences of the implementation of the JCMP program was that only one type of marching propulsion system (Williams F107 turbofan engine of the AGM-86 rocket) and the TERCOM terrain correction system (McDonnell Douglas AN / DPW-23 of the BGM-109 rocket) received further development. Another consequence was the cessation of work on the basic modification of the AGM-86A cruise missile, almost ready for production, and competitive flight tests for the role of the main air-launched cruise missile between the extended version of the AGM-86 with a range increased to 2400 km, designated as ERV ALCM ( English Extended Range Vehicle, later became AGM-86B) and AGM-109 (modifications of YBGM-109A airborne). After flight tests conducted between July 1979 and February 1980, the AGM-86B was declared the winner of the competition, and development of the airborne AGM-109 ALCM was halted.

The naval version of the BGM-109 continued to develop during this time. In March 1980, the first surface flight test of the serial BGM-109A Tomahawk missile took place from the USS Merrill (DD-976) Spruence-class destroyer (eng. USS Merrill (DD-976)), and in June of the same year a successful launch of the serial "Tomahawk" from the submarine USS Guitarro (SSN-665) (English USS Guitarro (SSN-665)) of the Stegen project. It was the world's first launch of a strategic cruise missile from a submarine.
Flight tests of the Tomahawk SLCM continued for three years, during which time more than 100 launches were made, as a result, in March 1983, it was announced that the missile had reached operational readiness and recommendations were issued for adoption.

The first modifications of these missiles, known as the Tomahawk Block I, were the strategic BGM-109A TLAM-N (Eng. Tomahawk Land-Attack Missile - Nuclear) with a thermonuclear warhead and anti-ship BGM-109B TASM (Eng. Tomahawk Anti-Ship Missile) with warhead in conventional equipment. Initially, KR modifications for various types of launch environments were designated by assigning a digital suffix, so the BGM-109A-1 and -109B-1 indices denoted surface-launched missiles, and BGM-109A-2 and -109B-2 - underwater ones. However, in 1986, instead of a digital suffix to designate the launch environment, the letters "R" for surface ships and "U" for submarines began to be used as the first letter of the index ("B" - denoting the plurality of launch environments).
The cost of one launch of the Tomahawk CD in March 2011 was about $1.5 million.

The main difficulty in countering Tomahawk-type cruise missiles is the task of detection. The low RCS of a rocket imposes restrictions on the required power of the radar, and low-altitude flight - on its location (range of the radio horizon for a given altitude).

All these restrictions lead to the fact that at long range such missiles can only be detected using AWACS aircraft. At medium ranges, detection is also possible using low-altitude detectors, as well as specialized interceptors. At short ranges, Tomahawks (and similar cruise missiles) can be detected by most modern military and civilian radars.

Since the Tomahawk flies at subsonic speeds, cannot maneuver with high overloads, and cannot use decoys, the detected missile is confidently hit by any modern air defense and missile defense systems that meet altitude restrictions.
It also seems promising to use optical-electronic warfare equipment (in particular, noise detectors that suppress the GPS signal), which will significantly reduce the accuracy of a missile hit, and, consequently, the danger to the defended object.

carriers

23 Los Angeles-class nuclear submarines, 12 KR;
4 nuclear submarines of the Ohio type, 154 CR each;
3 Sivulf-type nuclear submarines, up to 50 charges for torpedo tubes, including cruise missiles;
3 Virginia-class nuclear submarines, up to 12 cruise missiles;
British strike nuclear submarine "Astyut" (2007, the first of four of this class), displacement 7200/7800 tons, service life ~ 30 years, 6 torpedo launchers, 48 torpedoes and missiles;
54 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers (eng. Arleigh Burke) are in service and 8 more are being built at the shipyards of Brunswick and Pascagoula, armament 90/96 (depending on the series of the ship) PU "Aegis"; In the universal armament version, the ship carries 8 " Tomahawks", in shock - 56.
22 Ticonderoga-class missile cruisers, 122 Aegis launchers, 26 CR as standard;
Since 2013, the launch of 2 new destroyers of the DDG-1000 series with 80 launchers each

Combat use

Gulf War (1991)
Operation Resolute Force (1995)
Operation Desert Strike (1996)
Operation Desert Fox (1998)
NATO war against Yugoslavia (1999)
Invasion of Iraq (2003)
Intervention in Libya (2011)