Two major expenditures of Tomahawk occurred in the week beginning December 16, 1998 when some 330 missiles were
launched against Iraqi targets in Operation 'Desert Fox'. 'Desert Fox' saw the US Navy expend some 15 per cent of its Tomahawk
inventory with 10 missiles failing to be launched successfully. A 85 per cent success rate was claimed with 85 of 100 targets hit, of
which 74 were judged 'successful'. Between March and June 1999, during Operation 'Allied Force', 238 missiles (including 20
British) were launched, with 181 of 218 US missiles (83
and 17 out of 20 British missiles (85
hitting their targets. During this
latter operation the US Navy launched 26 missiles (16 with unitary warheads) against mobile targets, of which 14 radars and 10
aircraft were destroyed or damaged . In recent operations against targets in Afganistan some 60 to 70 missiles were reported used by
the American and British ships.
In March 1982, McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Company (later McDonnell Douglas Missile Systems Company and since 4
August 1997 the Boeing Company, McDonnell Douglas Aircraft and Missile Group) was selected as second production source for
Tomahawk and by FY85 the company was being awarded 40 per cent of production. The US Navy originally planned to buy 3,994
Tomahawks (758 TLAM-N, 593 TASM and 2,643 TLAM-C/D) but only 367 TLAM-N were produced, with production ending in
1989, and 32 Tomahawks authorised for this role were converted to TLAM-C in 1990. On 27 September 1991, President George
Bush announced that nuclear-tipped Tomahawk missiles would be removed from US Navy warships, some reportedly converted to
non-nuclear versions while the importance of Tomahawk in land-attack missions led to the decision in 1994 to remove TASM
versions from ships and to convert them to this role as Block IV missiles (see below) originally in calendar year 2000 but now in
FY02. At the same time it was decided to develop a Tomahawk Multi-Mission Missile (TMMM), originally known as the
Tomahawk Multi-Mode Missile, capable of both land-attack and ASuW operations.
On 13 December 1988, McDonnell Douglas was awarded a US$31.2 million contract to develop Tomahawk Block III
incorporating Global Positioning System (GPS). Development was rapid and, in late February 1991, the US Navy began to test the
Block III missile with a 585 nmi (1,100 km) flight from San Nicholas Island, California to China Lake. A submarine-launched
Block III was tested in June 1991 and, during the Summer of 1991, a Block III RGM-109D launched from the USS Merrill flew 400
nmi (740 km), attacked three targets with submunitions then dived upon a fourth. The first operational test launch took place from
the USS Arkansas on 2 September 1992 and involved five waypoints. On 21 January 1992, low-rate initial production of the Block
III was approved followed, in July 1992, by approval for full-rate production under contracts worth a total of US$85.75 million
awarded to McDonnell Douglas and General Dynamics to upgrade Block II missiles to Block III standard and to `remanufacture'
215 missiles. All new Tomahawks were Block III and up to 401 Block II missiles(including most TLAM-D versions) have been
upgraded. In the autumn of 2001, plans appeared to upgrade all the remaining 800 Block III, TLAM-N and TSAM missiles to Block
IIIC standard. The first deliveries of Block III missiles took place in March 1993 and the missile entered service two months later,
making its combat debut from the USS Normandy (CG 60) against Serbian targets in September 1995.
By the end of 1992, the US Navy had 47 surface ships and 71 submarines equipped with Tomahawks and at that time it was
stated they anticipated the Tomahawk inventory in 2000 would be 4,000 missiles, a third for submarines. However, with the end of
the Cold War and a greater emphasis upon littoral warfare in 1997 the US Navy announced plans for an inventory of only 3,440
Tomahawks by the turn of the century of which a third would be Block IV.
Definition of the TMMM Block IV missile for the Tomahawk Base Line Improvement Program (TBLIP) began circa 1991 and in
September 1994, Hughes Missiles Systems Company won a US$226,493,477 cost-plus contract to engineer and to manufacture and
install Block IV kits into both TASM and Block II missiles with low-rate initial production beginning in August 1998 and an initial
operating capability in June 2000. Simultaneously, the company received a US$130,327,521 contract to produce Block III missiles
in the first single source Tomahawk production contract.
In October 1995, the UK signed a Memorandum of Understanding to buy 65 (some sources say 67) missiles at a cost of US$284
million to meet Staff Requirement (Sea) 7598. By the end of the year Loral Federal Systems-Manassas (from April 1996 Lockheed
Martin Federal Systems) had won a US$60 million contract to integrate the missiles with British nuclear submarines in a 68 month
programme which includes development and production of kits for two `Swiftsure' and five `Trafalgar' class submarines as well as
training and support facilities. The kits consist of an Advanced Tomahawk Weapons Control System (ATWCS), modifications to
the fire-control hardware and software (with GEC-Marconi S3I, later GEC Marconi Command Information Systems, now renamed
Alenia Marconi Systems (AMS), responsible for modifying Outfit DCB and Ultra Electronics modifying Outfit DCM),
modifications to weapons-handling and discharge systems (with Strachan & Henshaw), the shipboard inertial navigation system
(with Sperry Marine) as well as the provision of a new pressure vent system. In a separate contract BAeSEMA (now BAE Systems)
modified the SMCS. The ATWCS is produced in association with GEC-Marine, Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd, as well
as Lockheed Martin Librascope. The first ship converted to operate Tomahawk was the 'Swiftsure' class HMS Splendid which
completed conversion in April 1998, conducted a firing trial in November and launched its first missiles in action during Operation
Allied Force against Serbian targets from March 26. It is believed that the submarine launched up to 14 missiles during this
operation. After the conflict the British requested 20 replacement Block IIIC missiles. The British Strategic Defence Review,
published in July 1998, stated that instead of having only five nuclear submarines armed with Tomahawk missiles, all the 'Trafalgar'
and 'Astute' class Fleet Nuclear Submarines will carry the missile by 2008 and by the beginning of the Milennium HMS Spartan and
HMS Talent had also been converted to operate the missile. Australia was reported in August 1995 to be considering acquiring
Tomahawk for `Collins' class submarines and/or `Anzac' class frigates while Royal Navy interest in Tomahawk for the Common
New-Generation Frigate is also reported although the Strategic Defence Review made no mention of this possibility. Israel's request
for 50 missiles was rejected by Washington.
To meet the US Navy's Near-Term Requirement for Naval Surface Fire Support (see Mark 45 Single 5 in L/54 Gun Mounting
entry) a 'Tactical Tomahawk' (also known unofficially as Block V) was proposed by the first quarter of 1997. A naval fire support
land attack version was proposed by Hughes in 1994/1995 as Tomahawk Stops The Attacking Regiments (TSTAR), a TLAM-D
with intelligence submunitions. But the Tactical Tomahawk has been conceived as a redesigned, new generation TLAM to reduce
production costs substantially with savings of 4,000 total parts, 2,750 assemblies and 1,700 fasteners for a unit price of some
US$750,000 compared with US$1.1/1.4 million for new Block IV or US$800,000 for converted Block I/II. By the first quarter of
1998, the weapon was competing against Naval ATACMs (qv), a land attack version of the Standard Missile (qv) and SLAM ER
(see Harpoon entry) but in May the Chief of Naval Operations opted to support the Standard Missile proposal. However, the
conspicuous consumption of Tomahawk in various operations meant that the US Navy's inventory was being eroded and the urgent
need for a replacement has driven development of Tactical Tomahawk to continue, which is scheduled to enter service in 2003. The
US Navy requirement is for 1,353 missiles. A joint UK/US plan for a Tactical Tomahawk which can be launched from a torpedo
tube in the same way as existing Tomahawks is already under way. A six-month engineering study was scheduled to begin in 2000
and then be followed by a two-year programme involving more detailed studies and engineering development, this programme
being completed by early 2004 with an in-service date of late 2004.
The US Navy was studying, early in 1999, a dedicated anti-radar version of Block V, and other versions with unitary and
submunition warheads are also being examined.
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Сообщение от Max Ader
А мужики то не знают.
