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Naval Forces News - USA |
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US
Navy test shows Tomahawk cruise missile with synthetic guidance can
hit moving targets at sea |
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A synthetically guided Tomahawk cruise missile successfully hit its
first moving maritime target Jan. 27 after being launched from the USS
Kidd (DDG-100) near San Nicolas Island in California. The Tomahawk Block
IV flight test demonstrated guidance capability when the missile in
flight altered its course toward the moving target after receiving position
updates from surveillance aircraft.
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A synthetically guided Tomahawk cruise missile successfully hits a moving
maritime target Jan. 27 after being launched from the USS Kidd (DDG-100)
near San Nicolas Island in California. The missile altered its course
toward the target after receiving position updates from surveillance
aircraft. (U.S. Navy photo)
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“This
is a significant accomplishment,” said Capt. Joe Mauser, Tomahawk
Weapons System (PMA-280) program manager. "It demonstrates the
viability of long-range communications for position updates of moving
targets. This success further demonstrates the existing capability of
Tomahawk as a netted weapon, and in doing so, extends its reach beyond
fixed and re-locatable points to moving targets.”
The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD) team leveraged
existing Tomahawk strike communications frameworks to develop this cost-saving
solution. This joint venture between NAWCWD at China Lake, PMA-280 and
Raytheon Missile Systems received major contributions from the Office
of Naval Research Advanced Sensors Technology Program and the surface
warfare centers at Dahlgren, Virginia and Port Hueneme, California. |
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Tomahawk cruise missile hits a moving maritime target Jan. 27 after
being launched from the USS Kidd (DDG-100) near San Nicolas Island in
California. (U.S. Navy photo)
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“We
have worked with teams across the country to be successful today,”
said Scott O' Neil, NAWCWD executive director. “This is a project
that increases warfighting capability, reduces cost and can be added
to other existing technologies out in the field.”
The Tomahawk weapons system is the U.S. Navy’s precision strike
standoff weapon for long and medium range attack of tactical targets.
The Navy is currently fielding Tomahawk Block IV weapons on surface
and subsurface platforms across the globe. |
