The Tomahawk cruise missile

2003-03-20 12:38

Washington - The Tomahawk cruise missile, which can be launched from both surface ships and submarines, is traditionally used for long-range, precision strikes against high value, heavily defended targets, according to military experts.

Radar detection of a flying Tomahawk, whose range could exceed 1 600km is difficult because of the missile's small radar cross-section and low altitude flight.

After launch, a solid propellant rocket motor accelerates the missile until a turbofan engine takes over for the cruise portion of the flight at speeds reaching 880km/h.

The introduction of global positioning satellites has dramatically reduced the time needed for a launch.

The 1.5-ton missile, which costs approximately $600 000 each, can carry a 450kg warhead and additional bomblets.

Tomahawk missiles, which were first introduced into the Pentagon arsenal in 1986, have played a crucial role in several theatre operations including Afghanistan, Operation Desert Storm against Iraq, Bosnia and Yugoslavia.

Since Desert Storm in 1991, more than 1 000 Tomahawks have been fired with a high degree of accuracy, according to Raytheon Company, the company which makes the weapons.

In September 1995, 13 Tomahawks were fired from the USS Normandy cruiser against Serbian anti-aircraft batteries in Bosnia's Banja Luka region.

Several dozens were also fired by US forces at the start of the war in Afghanistan against positions of the then ruling Taliban and camps of the al-Qaeda terror network.

- AFX