As part of this, Raytheon and the Navy have been developing a new payload for the weapon involving a more-penetrating warhead called the Joint Multiple Effects Warhead System, or JMEWS. Block IVs can travel as far as 900 miles at speeds up to. Block IV Tomahawks, which are now operational, have performed well in combat for many years. There have been models with radar which looks downwards and uses digital scene matching for navigation that. The Tactical Tomahawk, as it is called, has been in development for many years as a key strategic Navy effort to expand the attack envelope for ship commanders. The missile is fired from a boat’s torpedo tubes.

The missile has been in use with the Royal Navy since the late 1990s and has been used in the Kosovo conflict and in the campaigns against the Taliban, Saddam Hussein and Gaddafi. It flies at low altitudes to strike fixed targets, such as communication and air-defense sites, in high-risk environments where manned aircraft may be vulnerable to surface-to-air missiles. The Block IV Tomahawk, in service since 2004, includes a two-way data link for in-flight retargeting, terrain navigation, digital scene-matching cameras and a high-grade inertial navigation system, Raytheon officials said. The current Block IV Tomahawk missile continues to receive upgrades, to include added abilities to conduct battle damage assessments and a new, more explosive warhead option for commanders seeking alternative blast effects. Tomahawk Cruise missiles do not have air-to-air radar and cant see each other. Britain’s 1,000 mile punch The Tomahawk cruise missile. Tomahawk, also called Tomahawk cruise missile or BGM-109, American-made low-flying strategic guided missile that may be launched from naval ships or submarines to strike targets on land. Tomahawks have been upgraded several times over their years of service. Tomahawk Weapons System (PMA-280) program manager Capt. This capability extends the Tomahawk’s reach beyond fixed and re-locatable points, to moving targets. As part of this technology, the missile uses a two-way data link and camera to send back images of a target to a command center before it strikes. The US Navy has tested a ‘synthetically guided’ Tomahawk Block IV cruise missile last month, demonstrating the capability of existing Tomahawk missiles as netted weapons. The current Tomahawk is built with a “loiter” ability allowing it to hover near a target until there is an optimal time to strike.