How much did the largest US missile strikes cost? Russian miss: "Caliber" turned out to be unsuitable against Western missile defense Tomahawk flight speed

International politics Western countries (primarily England) of the late 19th - early 20th centuries are often called “gunboat diplomacy” by historians for their desire to solve foreign policy problems using the threat of military force. If we follow this analogy, then the foreign policy of the United States and its allies in the last quarter of the 20th and the beginning of this century can be safely called “tomahawk diplomacy.” In this phrase, “tomahawk” does not mean the favorite weapon of the indigenous population of North America, but the legendary cruise missile, which the Americans have regularly used in various local conflicts for several decades.

This missile system began to be developed back in the first half of the 70s of the last century; it was put into service in 1983 and since then it has been used in all conflicts in which the United States took part. Since the adoption of the Tomahawk into service, dozens of modifications of this cruise missile have been created, which can be used to destroy a wide variety of targets. Today the US Navy is armed with BGM-109 missiles fourth generation, their further improvement continues.

Tomahawks turned out to be so effective that today they themselves are practically synonymous with a cruise missile. More than 2 thousand missiles have been used in various conflicts, and despite some misses and failures, these weapons have proven to be very effective.

A little history of the Tomahawk missile

Any cruise missile (CM) is, in fact, a flying bomb (by the way, the first samples of this weapon were called that), a disposable unmanned aerial vehicle.

The history of the creation of this type of weapon began at the beginning of the 20th century, before the outbreak of the First World War. However, the technical level of that time did not allow the production of operating systems.

Humanity owes the appearance of the first serial cruise missile to the gloomy Teutonic genius: it was launched into production during the Second World War. "V-1" received Active participation in combat - the Nazis used these missiles to attack British territory.

The V-1 was equipped with an air-breathing engine, its warhead weighed from 750 to 1000 kilograms, and its flight range reached from 250 to 400 kilometers.

The Germans called the V-1 a “weapon of retaliation,” and it was indeed quite effective. This rocket was simple and relatively cheap (compared to the V-2). The price of one product was only 3.5 thousand Reichsmarks - approximately 1% of the cost of a bomber with a similar bomb load.

However, no “miracle weapon” could save the Nazis from defeat. In 1945, all the Nazis' developments in the field of rocket weapons fell into the hands of the Allies.

In the USSR, Sergei Pavlovich Korolev was involved in the development of cruise missiles immediately after the end of the war, then in this direction long years another talented one worked Soviet designer- Vladimir Chelomey. After the beginning of the nuclear era, all work in the field of creating missile weapons immediately acquired the status of strategic, because missiles were considered as the main carrier of weapons of mass destruction.

In the 50s, the USSR was developing an intercontinental cruise missile, the Burya, which had two stages and was designed to deliver nuclear warheads. However, work was stopped for economic reasons. In addition, it was during this period that real successes were achieved in the field of creating ballistic missiles.

The United States also developed the SM-62 Snark cruise missile with an intercontinental range; it was even on combat duty for some time, but was later withdrawn from service. It became clear that in those days ballistic missiles turned out to be a much more effective means of delivering a nuclear charge.

The development of cruise missiles in the Soviet Union continued, but now the designers were given slightly different tasks. Soviet generals believed that such weapons were excellent remedy fight against ships probable enemy, they were especially worried about American carrier strike groups (AUG).

Huge resources were invested in the development of anti-ship missile weapons, thanks to which the Granit, Malachite, Mosquito and Onyx anti-ship missiles appeared. Today, the Russian Armed Forces have the most advanced types of anti-ship cruise missiles; no other army in the world has anything like it.

Creation of the Tomahawk

In 1971, American admirals initiated the development of sea-launched strategic cruise missiles (SLCMs) capable of being launched from submarines.

Initially, it was planned to create two types of missile launchers: a heavy missile with a flight range of up to 5,500 km and launched from SSBN missile launchers (55 inches in diameter) and a lighter version that could be launched directly from torpedo tubes (21 inches). The light missile launcher was supposed to have a flight range of 2,500 kilometers. Both missiles had a subsonic flight speed.

In 1972, a lighter rocket option was chosen and the developers were given the task of creating a new SLCM (Submarine-Launched Cruise Missile) rocket.

In 1974, the two most promising missile launchers were selected for demonstration launches; they turned out to be projects from General Dynamics and Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV). The projects were given the abbreviations ZBGM-109A and ZBGM-110A, respectively.

Two launches of the product created at LTV ended in failure, so the General Dynamics rocket was declared the winner of the competition, and work on the ZBGM-110A was stopped. The revision of the CD has begun. During the same period, the leadership of the US Navy decided that new rocket should be able to launch from surface ships, so the meaning of the acronym (SLCM) was changed. Now the missile system under development has become known as the Sea-Launched Cruise Missile, that is, a “sea-based cruise missile.”

However, this was not the last introduction that the developers of the missile system encountered.

In 1977, the American leadership initiated a new program in the field of missile weapons - JCMP (Joint Cruise Missile Project), the goal of which was to create a single (for the Air Force and Navy) cruise missile. During this period, the development of air-launched missile launchers was actively underway, and the combination of two programs into one led to the use of a single Williams F107 turbofan engine and an identical navigation system in all missiles.

Initially, the naval missile was developed in three different versions, the main differences of which were their warhead. A variant was created with a nuclear warhead, an anti-ship missile with a conventional warhead and a missile launcher with a conventional warhead, designed to strike ground targets.

In 1980, the first tests of a naval modification of the missile were carried out: at the beginning of the year the missile was launched from a destroyer, and a little later the Tomahawk was launched from a submarine. Both launches were successful.

Over the next three years, more than a hundred Tomahawk launches of various modifications took place; based on the results of these tests, a recommendation was issued to accept the missile system into service.

BGM-109 Tomahawk navigation system

The main problem with using cruise missiles against objects located on land was the imperfection of guidance systems. That is why cruise missiles have long been practically synonymous with anti-ship weapons. Radar guidance systems perfectly distinguished surface ships against the background of a flat sea surface, but they were not suitable for hitting ground targets.

The creation of the TERCOM (Terrain Contour Matching) guidance and course correction system was a real breakthrough that made the creation of the Tomahawk missile possible. What is this system and on what principles does it work?

TERCOM's operation is based on the verification of altimeter data with a digital map earth's surface, embedded in the on-board computer of the rocket.

This gives the Tomahawk several advantages that made this weapon so effective:

1. Flight at extremely low altitude, skirting the terrain. This ensures the missile's high stealth and makes it difficult to destroy by air defense systems. Tomahawk can only be discovered at the last moment, when it is too late to do anything. It is no less difficult to see a missile from above against the background of the earth: its detection range by aircraft does not exceed several tens of kilometers.
2. Full autonomy of flight and target guidance: Tomahawk uses information about the unevenness of the terrain to correct the course. You can deceive the rocket only by changing it, which is impossible.

However, the TERCOM system also has disadvantages:

1. The navigation system cannot be used over the water surface; before the flight begins over land, the CD is controlled using gyroscopes.
2. The effectiveness of the system decreases over flat, low-contrast terrain, where the elevation difference is insignificant (steppe, desert, tundra).
3. Quite a high value of circular probable deviation (CPD). It was about 90 meters. For missiles with nuclear warheads this was not a problem, but the use of conventional warheads made such an error problematic.

In 1986, the Tomahawks were equipped with an additional navigation and flight correction system, DSMAC (Digital Scene Matching Area Correlation). It was from this moment that the Tomahawk turned from a weapon of thermonuclear Armageddon into a threat to everyone who does not love democracy and does not share Western values. The new modification of the missile was named RGM/UGM-109C Tomahawk Land-Attack Missile.

How does DSMAC work? The cruise missile enters the attack zone using the TERCOM system, and then begins to compare images of the terrain with digital photographs, embedded in the on-board computer. Using this method of guidance, a missile can hit a separate small building - the CEP of the new modification has decreased to 10 meters.

Cruise missiles with a similar guidance system also had two modifications: Block-II attacked the selected target at low level, while Block-IIA, before hitting the target, made a “slide” and dived onto the object, and could also be remotely detonated directly above it.

However, after installing additional sensors and increasing the mass of the warhead, the flight range of the RGM/UGM-109C Tomahawk was reduced from 2500 km to 1200. Therefore, in 1993, a new modification appeared - Block-III, which had a reduced mass of the warhead (while maintaining its power) and a more advanced engine, which increased the Tomahawk's flight range to 1,600 km. In addition, Block-III became the first missile to receive a guidance system using GPS.

Modifications of "Tomahawks"

Taking into account the active use of Tomahawks, military leadership The USA set the manufacturer the task of significantly reducing the cost of its product and improving some of its characteristics. This is how the RGM/UGM-109E Tactical Tomahawk appeared, which entered service in 2004.

This rocket used a cheaper plastic body and a simpler engine, which almost halved its cost. At the same time, the “Axe” has become even deadlier and more dangerous.

The rocket used more advanced electronics; it is equipped with an inertial guidance system, the TERCOM system, as well as DSMAC (with the ability to use infrared images of the area) and GPS. In addition, the tactical Tomahawk uses a two-way UHF satellite communications system, which allows the weapon to be retargeted in flight. A television camera installed on the missile defense system makes it possible to assess the state of the target in real time and make decisions about continuing the attack or striking another object.

Today, the Tactical Tomahawk is the main modification of the missile in service with the US Navy.

The next generation Tomahawk is currently being developed. The developers promise to eliminate in the new missile the most serious drawback inherent in current modifications: the inability to hit moving sea and ground targets. In addition, the new Topor will be equipped with a modern millimeter-wave radar.

Application of BGM-109 Tomahawk

The Tomahawk has been used in every conflict in recent decades in which the United States has been involved. The first serious test for these weapons was the Gulf War in 1991. During the Iraqi campaign, almost 300 missile launchers were launched, the vast majority of which successfully completed the mission.

Later, the Tomahawk missile launcher was used in several smaller operations against Iraq, then there was the war in Yugoslavia, the second Iraqi campaign (2003), as well as the operation of NATO forces against Libya. Tomahawks were also used during the conflict in Afghanistan.

Currently, BGM-109 missiles are in service with the US and British Armed Forces. Holland and Spain showed interest in this missile system, but the deal never took place.

BGM-109 Tomahawk device

The Tomahawk cruise missile is a monoplane equipped with two small folding wings in the central part and a cross-shaped stabilizer in the tail. The fuselage is cylindrical in shape. The missile has a subsonic flight speed.

The body consists of aluminum alloys and (or) special plastic with low radar signature.

The control and guidance system is a combined one; it consists of three components:

• inertial;
• by terrain (TERCOM);
• electro-optical (DSMAC);
• using GPS.

Anti-ship modifications have a radar guidance system.

To launch missiles from submarines, torpedo tubes (for older modifications) or special ones are used launchers. For launching from surface ships, special launchers Mk143 or UVP Mk41 are used.

At the head of the missile launcher there is a guidance and flight control system, followed by a warhead and a fuel tank. At the rear of the rocket is a bypass turbojet engine with a retractable air intake.

An accelerator is attached to the tail section, giving initial acceleration. It carries the rocket to a height of 300-400 meters, after which it separates. Then the tail fairing is dropped, the stabilizer and wings are deployed, and the main engine is turned on. The rocket reaches a given altitude (15-50 m) and speed (880 km/h). This speed is quite low for a rocket, but it allows for the most economical use of fuel.

The warhead of a missile can be very different: nuclear, semi-armor-piercing, high-explosive fragmentation, cluster, penetrating or concrete-piercing. The mass of warheads of different missile modifications also varies.

Advantages and disadvantages of the BGM-109 Tomahawk

The Tomahawk is undoubtedly a highly effective weapon. Universal, cheap, capable of solving many problems. Of course, it has disadvantages, but there are many more advantages.

Advantages:

• due to the low flight altitude and the use of special materials, Tomahawks are a serious problem for air defense systems;
• missiles have very high accuracy;
• these weapons are not covered by cruise missile agreements;
• Tomahawk missile launchers have a low maintenance cost (when compared with ballistic missiles);
• this weapon is relatively cheap to produce: the cost of one missile in 2014 was $1.45 million, for some modifications it can reach $2 million;
• versatility: various types of combat units, as well as different ways target destruction allows the Tomahawk to be used against a wide variety of targets.

If we compare the cost of using these CDs with carrying out a full-scale air operation with the use of hundreds of aircraft, suppression of enemy air defense and jamming, then it will seem simply ridiculous. Current modifications of these missiles can quickly and effectively destroy stationary enemy targets: airfields, headquarters, warehouses and communications centers. Tomahawks were also used very successfully against enemy civilian infrastructure.

Using these missiles, you can quickly drive the country “into the stone age” and turn its army into an unorganized crowd. The task of the Tomahawks is to deliver the first strike against the enemy, preparing the conditions for further aviation or military intervention.

The current modifications of the “Axe” also have disadvantages:

• low flight speed;
• the flight range of a conventional missile is lower than that of a missile launcher with a nuclear warhead (2500 versus 1600 km);
• inability to attack moving targets.

We can also add that the missile defense system cannot maneuver with large overloads to counter air defense systems, nor use decoys.

Currently, work on modernizing the cruise missile continues. They are aimed at extending its flight range, increasing the warhead, and also making the missile even “smarter.” The latest modifications of the Tomahawks are, in fact, real UAVs: they can loiter in a given area for 3.5 hours, choosing the most worthy “victim”. In this case, all data collected by the radar sensors is transmitted to the control center.

Technical characteristics of BGM-109 Tomahawk

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The Caliber and Tomahawk missiles are capable of hitting surface and ground targets at long ranges, breaking through enemy air defenses. Tomahawk and Caliber systems belong to the same class missile weapons, allowing direct comparison between them.

In October 2015, ships of the Russian navy For the first time, Caliber cruise missiles were used in a real combat operation. This strike on the targets of illegal armed groups in Syria caused a real sensation, and also showed that Russia now has missile systems with the highest characteristics. A few days ago, the United States was reminded of its missile potential by attacking the Syrian airbase of Shayrat using Tomahawk cruise missiles. It is quite natural that experts and military enthusiasts are again trying to compare Russian and American weapons, and also draw certain conclusions.

Recent facts about the combat use of Russian- and American-made cruise missiles clearly show that the weapons of the two countries have certain common features. Both missiles are capable of hitting surface and ground targets at long distances and delivering relatively high-power warheads to the specified target. There is also reason to believe that both missile systems have a certain potential for breaking through enemy air defenses. In general, the Tomahawk and Caliber systems belong to the same class of missile weapons, which allows direct comparison between them.

It should be noted that the comparison results may be affected in a certain way by the difference in the age of the samples under consideration. The Tomahawk family of missiles was adopted by the United States in the early eighties, while the operation of the Russian Caliber began only a few years ago. However, we should not forget that over the past decades, American weapons have been repeatedly modernized with new capabilities and improved basic characteristics. In addition, Tomahawk and Caliber products are currently the main weapons of their class in the armed forces of the two countries. Therefore, a comparison of two missiles is unlikely to encounter the problem of them belonging to different generations.

Both missiles under consideration have a lot of common features. Thus, they are intended for use by surface ships and submarines. The purpose of such weapons is to deliver combat units to enemy targets located at tactical strategic depth. These capabilities can be used both to destroy certain important objects and to suppress existing air defenses before strike aircraft enter the battle.

Tomahawk missiles

Within the Tomahawk family, the American military industry has created several missiles for various purposes with different characteristics. To date, several types of missiles remain in the arsenals of the US Navy. To attack ground targets, products of the BGM-109C/UGM-109C and BGM-109D/UGM-109D modifications are offered, both basic versions and those that have undergone modernization. Such missiles can be used by both surface ships and submarines.

The Tomahawk product is a cruise missile 6.25 m long with a folding wing with a span of 2.6 m. The launch weight, depending on the modification, reaches 1.5 tons. The missile is equipped with a sustainer turbojet engine. A solid-fuel starting engine is also used, which is necessary to complete the starting section of the trajectory. Depending on the modification, the missile is equipped with an inertial, satellite or radar homing system. The missile carries a high-explosive or cluster warhead weighing 120 kg. Previously, the arsenal consisted of “sea” missiles with a special warhead, but, according to available data, such equipment was abandoned several years ago.

The Tomahawk ship modification can be used with several types of launchers. The missile is stored and launched using the Mk 143 installation with four transport and launch containers or using the Mk 41 universal vertical launcher, each cell of which accepts one missile. Submarines can use such weapons using standard 533 mm torpedo tubes or separate vertical launchers of the Mk 45 type.

The techniques for firing missiles of different modifications from different carriers are slightly different, but general principles similar. After programming the guidance systems, the missile is ejected from the launcher, then the launch engine carries out the initial acceleration of the product and puts it on the required trajectory. Then the rocket discards all unnecessary elements and turns on the propulsion engine.

According to reports, the latest naval modifications of the Tomahawk missile have a flight range of up to 1,700 km. Some previous versions of missiles could deliver warheads to a range of up to 2,500 km. Flight speed reaches 890-900 km/h. An important feature of the latest weapon modifications is the ability to loiter in a given area and aim at another target after launch. Such functions to a certain extent increase the combat potential and flexibility of missile use.

Tomahawk cruise missiles have been in service since the eighties, and over the past decades have become a vital element of American arsenals. According to available data, more than 4 thousand such missiles have been manufactured and delivered to the armed forces to date. About half of the products were used during exercises or actual combat operations. From this point of view, the rockets of the family hold an unconditional record in their class, which is unlikely to ever be broken.

The first time Tomahawks were used outside of a training ground was in 1991, during the Gulf War. IN total American naval forces used 288 such missiles (276 were fired by ships and 12 by submarines). Most of the products reached their targets, but some of the missiles were lost for technical reasons or shot down by enemy air defenses. In two operations in 1993, the US Navy again attacked Iraqi targets, using nearly seven dozen missiles. In 1995, the first Tomahawk launch took place against targets in Yugoslavia.

Subsequently, cruise missiles were used by ships, submarines and aircraft to destroy targets in Yugoslavia, the Middle East, Afghanistan, etc. The last missile attack to date was carried out on April 6. Two American ships sent 59 missiles to a Syrian air base. As it soon became known, only 23 missiles reached their targets. The rest, according to various sources, either fell into the sea before reaching the coast of Syria, or were shot down by anti-aircraft systems.

From recent official reports it follows that the Pentagon intends to continue the development and modernization of Tomahawk family cruise missiles. These weapons, undergoing updates and gaining new capabilities, will remain in service for a long time. There are no specific plans to replace such missiles with newer models yet.

Caliber missiles

Work on the creation of a promising missile system, which resulted in the appearance of the Caliber family, started back in the mid-seventies. Over the next few years, the requirements for the complex changed, and in addition, several economic and political factors affected the development process. The final appearance of the new complex was formed only in the early nineties, and soon models of the new missiles were shown to the general public.

The following years passed without much success, since Russian industry simply did not have the opportunity to fully develop existing projects. The situation changed only in the two thousand years, when the design of new systems was completed and it became possible to begin testing. By the end of the decade, the development of a number of missiles for various purposes and complexes intended for their use was completed. Subsequently, complexes and missiles of new types were included in the armament of new ships and submarines. The Kalibr-NK complex with a 3S14 launcher is intended for surface ships, and the Kalibr-PL complex, which uses standard torpedo tubes, is intended for submarines.

To attack ground targets, the Kalibr family complexes use 3M-14 cruise missiles. This rocket has a length of 6.2 m and a folding wing. With the wing folded, the maximum diameter of the product is 533 mm, which allows it to be used together with standard torpedo tubes. The rocket is equipped with a sustainer turbojet engine and a solid propellant launch engine. According to available data, a homing system is used, which includes inertial and satellite navigation equipment. The target is hit using a high-explosive warhead weighing up to 400 kg.

Until a certain time, the flight characteristics of the Caliber missiles remained unknown. IN promotional materials this project specified a maximum range of 300 km, but such numbers were directly related to existing export restrictions. The actual firing range remained a mystery. Autumn 2015 Russian ships from the Caspian flotilla launched a large number of missiles at targets in Syria. To achieve these goals, the missiles had to cover about 1,500 km. Soon there were suggestions about a higher flight range, up to 2-2.5 thousand km. For obvious reasons, officials refrain from commenting on this topic.

Video recordings made by Russian drones during monitoring of the results of the use of missile weapons showed the high accuracy of the Caliber complex. In most cases, the missile detonates the warhead either upon impact with the intended target or with minimal deviation from it. In combination with the large mass of the warhead, this makes it possible to increase the efficiency of destroying targets.

Almost all of the newest surface ships and submarines have become carriers of the Caliber family of missiles Russian fleet. Thus, Project 22350 frigates are equipped with two launchers with eight missile cells on each. Project 11356 frigates, patrol boat "Dagestan" (project 11661), Project 20385 corvettes and small ones rocket ships project 21631 carry one installation each. According to some reports, in the near future, modernized nuclear cruisers of Project 1144 will receive such weapons. The Caliber-PL complex is used on diesel-electric submarines of Project 636.3 Varshavyanka and 885 Yasen. It was reported about the possibility of modernizing submarines of other projects with replacing existing weapons with new “Calibers”.

The Kalibr-NK missile system was first used on October 7, 2015. Four ships of the Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy used 26 missiles and destroyed 11 terrorist targets in Syria. In December of the same year, the submarine B-237 “Rostov-on-Don” solved a similar combat mission from the water area Mediterranean Sea hit a ground target. Subsequently, ships and submarines of the Russian fleet repeatedly used strike missile weapons and destroyed various enemy targets. To date, at least 40-50 cruise missiles have been used, hitting several dozen targets. In foreign means mass media There have been numerous reports of missiles falling while traveling along the route, but precise information on this matter, including the number of failed products, is not available.

The problem of comparing "Caliber" and "Tomahawk"

Evaluating the effectiveness and comparing two models of modern missile weapons is sufficient challenging task. The real performance indicators of the combat performance of missile systems are affected by many various factors, which makes their assessment difficult. Nevertheless, the available information still allows us to draw a general picture and draw some conclusions.

In the case of the Tomahawk family of missiles, the assessment is facilitated by the fact that over the previous decades the US Navy managed to take part in several combat operations and expended a huge amount of weapons. At the same time, combat operations were carried out in different regions and against enemies with different technical capabilities. For example, on September 23, 2014, 47 cruise missiles were sent to targets near Syrian Raqqa and other cities captured by terrorists. Lacking modern air defense systems, the terrorists were unable to intercept the missiles and lost a significant number of their targets. The missile attack carried out on October 13, 2016 ended in a similar way. Five missiles aimed at the Yemeni Houthi radar station successfully reached their targets.

As is known, cruise missiles belong to the category of aerodynamic targets and therefore are included in the range of tasks of the anti-aircraft systems that some US adversaries had. According to various sources, during the Gulf War, out of 288 missiles launched, the Iraqi military managed to intercept and destroy up to three dozen. During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the United States used more than eight hundred Tomahawk missiles, some of which also failed to reach their targets due to unsuppressed air defenses. Earlier, during the fighting in Yugoslavia, out of more than 200 missiles, up to 30-40 were shot down.

The reasons for such results from the use of guided missile weapons are simple and understandable. The available flight data and flight profile, despite the low altitude and associated difficulties for air defense, cannot guarantee protection of the Tomahawk missile from enemy anti-aircraft systems. As the Iraqi and Yugoslav experience shows, even outdated anti-aircraft systems are quite capable of intercepting strike weapons and making it difficult to strike key targets.

However, in case of the presence of developed air defense, the United States has appropriate techniques. In the case of the use of Tomahawks, the first targets of the missiles are reconnoitered air defense targets. To increase the chances of destroying the intended targets, massive strikes are used, total reflection which is simply impossible due to disabilities anti-aircraft complexes. Such tactics lead to a large consumption of ammunition, but can quickly disable the enemy’s defenses, opening the way for strike aircraft.

Newer Caliber missiles cannot yet boast such a long combat career and unique quantitative indicators of use. At the moment, such weapons were involved in only one operation, during which only a few dozen products were used. The specifics of the current conflict in Syria lead to certain consequences that, to one degree or another, make it difficult to determine the real capabilities of the complex.

Terrorist groups operating on Syrian territory do not have serious air defense, which is why the Russian Caliber simply has nothing to break through. As a result, cruise missiles can reach their target almost unhindered and destroy it. The only serious problem in such a situation is possible technical problems. It was previously reported that already in the first salvo on October 7, 2015, several missiles failed to reach their targets, but detailed information about the fall of the weapon was not published. Apparently, if such incidents occurred, they were only a few times. Moreover, as follows from the reports Russian ministry defense, even the loss of several missiles could not prevent the completion of assigned tasks and the destruction of intended targets.

When comparing modern Russian and American cruise missiles, one should take into account the important consequences of their existence and use. Until recently, only the United States and Great Britain could send warships to enemy shores and launch a massive attack with Tomahawk missiles. A large number of missiles and fairly high characteristics gave a high probability of successfully hitting all intended targets. Now Russia has similar weapons. Missiles with a flight range of up to 1,500 km and a significant number of their carriers, capable of reaching almost any point in the World Ocean, are a serious signal to a potential enemy.

Thus, the main conclusion from the current situation is not related to the technical characteristics, number of missiles or the likelihood of a missile defense breakthrough. Thanks to the emergence and adoption of the Caliber family of missiles, a new force has emerged in the oceans, capable of influencing the situation in certain regions. There is every reason to believe that in terms of the number of deployed missiles and their carriers, the Russian complex will never be able to catch up with the American Tomahawk, but even in such a situation, cruise missiles will be a serious tool capable of influencing the military-political situation.

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

The 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 destroying surface ships. Their structural design and flight performance characteristics are identical. All options, due to the modular construction principle, differ from each other only in the head part.

Compound

The wing is made according to an airplane design (monoplane), has a cylindrical body with an ogival fairing of the head part, a wing folding and recessed into the body in the central part and a cross-shaped stabilizer in the tail. The body is made of durable aluminum alloys, graphite-epoxy plastic and radio-transparent materials. To reduce radar signature, a special coating is applied to the body, wing and stabilizer.

The warhead of the Tomahawk BGM-109A strategic nuclear missile system is the W-80 warhead (weight 123 kg, length about 1 m, diameter 0.27 m and power 200 kt). Detonation 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 missile system make it possible to hit highly protected small-sized targets with high efficiency. According to American experts, the probability of destroying a protected object that can withstand an excess pressure of 70 kg/cm 2 with one Tomahawk missile launcher is 0.85, and a Poseidon-SZ SLBM is 0.10.

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

The control and guidance system of the Tomahawk BGM-109 A/C/D missile launcher 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 stages of the rocket's flight (mass 11 kg). It includes an on-board 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 missile launcher location with an accuracy of 0.8 km per 1 hour of flight.

The control and guidance system for strategic missiles with a conventional warhead BGM-109C and D includes an electro-optical correlation subsystem DSMAC, which can significantly improve firing accuracy (CEP - up to 10m). It uses digital images of previously filmed areas of the terrain along the flight route of the Kyrgyz Republic.

To store and launch Tomahawk missiles on SSNs, standard torpedo tubes (TA) or special vertical launch units (UVP) Mk45 are used (see diagram, photo), and on surface ships, container-type launchers Mk143 are used (see diagram, photo1, photo2) or UVP Mk41.

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

American submarines have four bow-mounted hydraulic tubes, placed on the sides (two each) at an angle of 10-12° to the center plane of the ship and allowing firing from great depths, which significantly reduces unmasking factors. TA pipes are made of three sections: bow, central and stern. Loading and correct positioning of the capsule with CR in the TA pipes is carried out using guide bars and support rollers. The firing mechanism is connected to the drives for opening and closing the lids of the device. The back cover is equipped with a water meter and inspection window, which allows you to monitor the filling (draining) of the TA, a pressure gauge, as well as a cable input connecting the control devices of the KR with the firing control panel. The hydraulic firing system of the CR has a high-pressure pulse air cylinder, a hydraulic booster and a water system heater. A hydraulic cylinder is installed on each group of two TA pipes on 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, moves. The latter works for its TA group and supplies water to them through a pressure tank connected to each device through slotted slots. When the piston moves, water from the injection tank under pressure enters first into the aft part of the launcher pipe, and then through the holes into the capsule, creating the excess pressure necessary to eject the rocket from the launcher. The drive levers for opening the front covers of the TA are interlocked in such a way that only one cover in the group can be opened at a time, and therefore, one device will be connected to the pressure tank.

Firing control, monitoring the status of missile launchers in the launch vehicle and air defense missile launcher, checking them, coordinating the launch and accounting for missile consumption are carried out using the fire control system (FCS). Its components on the submarine are located in the central control room and torpedo compartment. In the central post of the boat there is a control panel, a computer and a data conversion unit. Information is displayed and control data is output on the control panel display panel. On surface ships, the control system is stored in a container installed in the ship's weapons control room. The system uses software and computer interfaces that make it possible to issue target designations and coordinate the firing of the Tomahawk missile launcher at ground targets from one ship to other ships of the formation or group.

The functioning of the missile system is as follows. Upon receiving an order to use missile weapons, the commander announces the alarm and puts the ship on high technical alert. Pre-launch preparation of the missile system begins, which takes about 20 minutes. When firing from a submarine on a submarine, sea water is fed into the tube of the device and through the holes enters the capsule with the missile launcher. At this moment, a device begins to operate in the rocket, creating excess pressure inside its body, approximately equal to the external one, which protects the missile body from deformation. The boat reaches the launch depth (30-60m) and reduces the speed to several knots. The data necessary for firing is entered into the control and guidance system of the missile system. Then the TA cover opens, the hydraulic ejection system of the missile launcher 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 missile is connected to the container with a 12 m long halyard, when it ruptures (after 5 seconds of passing the underwater section of the trajectory), the safety stage is removed and the launch solid propellant rocket engine is turned on. As the water column passes, the pressure inside the body of the CR 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 silo cover opens, the missile ejection system is turned on, and the excess pressure created by the gas generator pushes the missile out of the silo. Upon exiting, it destroys the membrane of the capsule that held back the pressure of sea water, vertically exits to the surface and, having made a turn, switches to the programmed flight path. 4-6 seconds after the launch vehicle emerges from under the water or after the end of operation of the launch solid propellant rocket motor, the tail thermal fairing is dropped with pyrotechnic charges and the rocket stabilizer is deployed. During this time, the Kyrgyz Republic reaches an altitude of 300-400m. Then, on the descending branch of the launch section, about 4 km long, the wing consoles open, the air intake extends, the starting solid propellant rocket engine is fired using pyrobolts, the main engine is turned on, and the missile launcher moves to the specified flight path (60 seconds after launch). The rocket's flight altitude is reduced to 15-60m, and its speed is reduced to 885km/h. The missile is controlled during its flight over the sea by an inertial control subsystem, which ensures that the missile launches into the first correction region (as a rule, it is several kilometers away from the shore). 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 launch vehicle, accumulated during the rocket's flight over the water surface.

Along with equipping ships with Tomahawk missile weapons, the United States is pursuing a large-scale program for the development and improvement of sea-launched cruise missiles, which includes:

• Increasing the firing range to 3-4 thousand km due to the development of more efficient engines and fuels, reducing weight and size characteristics. In particular, replacing the F-107 turbofan engine with its modification, according to American experts, gives an increase in thrust by 19 percent. and a reduction in fuel consumption by 3%. By replacing the existing turbofan engine with a propfan engine in combination with a special gas generator, the flight range will increase by 50% while maintaining the same weight and dimensions of the rocket.
• improving target targeting accuracy up to several meters by equipping the missile system with 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 selection of stationary targets, navigation support and speed correction.
• increasing the launch depths of missile launchers from submarines when using a more powerful launch solid propellant rocket engine;
• reducing the impact of air defense and missile defense systems during the combat use of cruise missiles. It is proposed to reduce the impact of air defense systems and increase the combat stability of the missile by reducing its radar signature, increasing the number of flight programs, and the possibility of quickly replacing or adjusting them during the missile’s flight. For this purpose, it is planned to use more productive computers and satellite communications.

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

The rocket body, including 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 inability to fire through a torpedo tube. The guidance system has new capabilities for target identification and in-flight retargeting. The missile can be reprogrammed in-flight via satellite (ultra-high frequency) communications to target any 15 predetermined additional targets. The missile has the technical ability to loiter 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 receiving 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 Navy's total order for the new missile between 1999 and 2015 amounted to more than three thousand units.

In 2014, Raytheon began test flights of an improved modification of Block IV to attack surface and limitedly mobile ground targets. The new active radar seeker IMS-280 with AFAR X-band (2) of the 10-12 GHz range (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 : “friend” - “foreign” ship or civilian ship. Depending on the answer, the missile independently decides which target to attack. The new seeker will be installed instead of the AN/DXQ-1 DSMAC optical-electronic module. The total volume of fuel is reduced to 360 kilograms, the operational range of the missile is from 1600 to 1200 kilometers.

Performance characteristics

Gone are the days when aviation was considered the main means of delivering high-power tactical ammunition. The advent of missile weapons and the improvement of missile technology have led to the fact that modern armed forces have acquired new, powerful and fast weapons - cruise missiles. These new means of combat combined both long range and high accuracy. The new missile systems had a fairly large damaging effect and could provide a massive strike. A striking representative of this type of weapon is the now well-known American BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missile.

What is the Tomahawk missile launcher?

The American army became one of the first in the world to be equipped with a new tactical missile system on a large scale. The cruise missile, which appeared in 1983, became the most popular in its class. In addition, this is one of the few examples of modern types of weapons that were involved in almost all military conflicts. The Tomahawks are associated with the history of military operations during the first Gulf War (1990-1991), as well as the subsequent actions of multinational NATO forces in Yugoslavia in 1999. Already in the new millennium, American Tomahawks, with a twenty-year track record, again became one of the main types of weapons on the battlefield.

The Americans actually managed to create a universal means of struggle - a weapon that has become a convenient tool in modern military-political conditions. The name of the rocket is also symbolic; a tomahawk is a battle ax, a legendary weapon of the North American Indians. For modern army Having such a weapon is invaluable. Equipped with a new guidance system, this cruise missile, like the Indian ax, is barely noticeable in flight, fast and deadly. The strike is always accurate, not expected and unpredictable.

The reason for such qualities of the weapon lies in the design of the rocket and in the features of its design. For the first time, a guidance system was installed on a cruise missile, providing the projectile with complete autonomy in flight. The missile operates on the principle of pointing, releasing and forgetting. To control a flying projectile, neither the help of a gunner operator nor the presence of a satellite guidance system is required. The combat filling of several hundred kilograms of explosives was capable of disabling any target, both at sea and on land. High combat characteristics became the fruit of long-term design development, on which the American military department spent enormous sums. In 1973, American taxpayers spent $560 thousand on the development of the project alone. Subsequently, it took over one million dollars to fine-tune the prototype.

Testing of the first samples of the new rocket lasted 6 years. Only in 1983, after more than 100 test launches, the Pentagon announced the adoption of a new cruise missile for service with the American armed forces. This missile was created as a universal strike weapon capable of carrying nuclear weapons and conventional charges. It was planned to use ships of various classes as a launch platform, including nuclear submarines and aircraft strategic aviation The US Air Force, therefore, initially created modifications of cruise missiles adapted for surface and underwater launch. The new Tomahawk missile system consisted of cruise missiles, launchers and a missile fire control system.

For reference: The first weapons were developed in two versions:

• Tomahawk Block I BGM-109A TLAM-N strategic carrier with a nuclear warhead;
• Tomahawk Block I BGM-109B TASM anti-ship missile with a conventional warhead.

Design features of the Tomahawk Block I cruise missile

It should be noted that the Americans took a practical approach to creating new weapons. The nuclear parity achieved with the Soviet Union in the mid-70s of the 20th century required the creation of new means of delivering nuclear weapons, so initially a new cruise missile, the new battle ax, was developed in several modifications. The main, strategic version of the Tomahawk missile system had three modifications (A, C, D) and was designed to strike ground targets deep in the territory of a potential enemy. The second, tactical version of the missile included modifications B and E. These cruise missiles were supposed to destroy any surface targets.

Despite the differences in intended use, all modifications had the same design and device. The tactical and technical characteristics of the missiles were identical. The differences concerned only the combat equipment of the missiles - either a nuclear warhead or a warhead with a conventional high-explosive fragmentation charge.

The design of the cruise missile had all the characteristics of this type of weapon. character traits. The body was a cylindrical monoplane, equipped with a fairing in the nose. The stability of the projectile in flight was ensured by protruding wings located in the central part of the body. The rocket had a cross-shaped stabilizer at the tail section. The main structural material was aircraft-grade aluminum and durable plastic. The use of protective materials in the body design ensured a significant reduction in the radar signature of the missile. The main engine for the new rocket was initially equipped with Williams F107-WR-400 turbojet engines with a thrust of 2.7 kN. Later, more powerful engines were installed on other modifications. For modifications of air-launched missiles, Teledyne CAE J402-CA-401 turbojet engines capable of producing a thrust of 3.0 kN were used.

A powerful propulsion engine provided the rocket-projectile with a flight speed of over 800 km/h. The flight range varied in the range of 800-2500 km, depending on the modification of the missile and the basing option. Typically, nuclear-tipped cruise missiles had a longer range. Tactical modifications were capable of flying shorter distances. Mixed performance characteristics for Tomahawk cruise missiles look like this:

• flight range for ground (surface) launch missiles 1250 - 2500 km;
• flight range of missiles (underwater launch) based on submarines up to 1000 km;
• cruising flight speed 885 km/h;
• maximum flight speed during the final phase of flight at certain angles of attack - 1200 km/h;
• the rocket body had a length of 6.25 m;
• wingspan 2.62 m;
• the weight of the loaded missile varied in the range of 1450-1500 kg, depending on the type of warhead;
• the missile could be equipped with a nuclear warhead, a high-explosive fragmentation charge, or a cluster warhead.

The power of the nuclear charge that the BGM-109A cruise missile could carry was 200 kt. The non-nuclear cruise missiles BGM-109C and BGM-109D were equipped with a semi-armor-piercing warhead weighing 120 kg or a combined action cluster warhead.

During the development process and subsequent serial production, the missiles were equipped with three types of guidance systems:

• inertial;
• correlation;
• correlation electron-optical.

The latest modification of the Tomahawk Block IV cruise missiles, which is due to enter service with the US Army today, is already equipped with a completely new electro-optical guidance system DSMAC correlation action. During the marching flight, the missile's course can be adjusted taking into account the meteorological situation in the target area and the combat situation. In current conditions, weapons are a fully automated combat system, capable of making decisions independently depending on the characteristics of combat use.

What is the main feature of the Tomahawk missile launcher?

The main advantage that the Americans managed to achieve as a result of the creation of the Tomahawk cruise missile is the almost complete invulnerability of the weapon to air defense systems. A cruise missile launched towards a target flies at a low altitude, skirting relief features during its flight. Ground-based air defense systems in such a situation are unable to quickly respond to the flight of a projectile, practically not seeing it in flight. The missile's stealth in flight is facilitated by the missile's streamlined body, equipped with protective materials.

It is possible to identify a flying Tomahawk only if its flight route is known in advance. A clear example of the invulnerability of cruise missiles to ground-based air defense systems was the conflict in Yugoslavia. Of the 700 Tomahawk Block III cruise missiles, created in the early 90s, fired at targets in Yugoslavia, no more than fifty missiles were shot down. The missiles were shot down either on approach to the territory of Yugoslavia by air defense systems, or were attacked already on the territory of Yugoslavia by planes of the Yugoslav Air Force. The Yugoslavs were able to achieve such results due to one significant drawback that American miracle axes possess. The cruise missile has a low speed, which makes it vulnerable to fighter aircraft fire. The pilot of a modern aircraft, upon visual detection of a flying projectile, can easily catch up with it and destroy it.

With a single launch, it is almost impossible to detect an incoming missile. The massive use of cruise missiles provides the possibility of simultaneous strikes against both strategic targets and identified targets of the enemy’s air defense system. Such a combined strike practically paralyzes the enemy, further limiting his actions.

Modern tactics of using cruise missiles

It should be noted that, despite all its technical perfection, the Tomahawk cruise missile is considered a stretch precision weapons. Only rockets with nuclear warheads can be considered a means of delivering single strikes. In tactical terms, the American armed forces are relying on the massive use of these weapons, despite their high cost. One launch of the Tomahawk cruise missile costs the American taxpayer $1.5 million.

According to the tactics of using this type of weapon, the deployment options also differ. While developing a new cruise missile, the Americans planned to arm the bulk of their navy with it. The task was to create a universal missile system capable of carrying out a massive launch. Thus, the Arleigh Burke class destroyers, the main ships of the US Navy, housed launchers for 56 missiles of this class. The last American battleship, Missouri, remaining in the fleet and participating in the attack on Iraq in 1991, carried 32 Tomahawk Block I BGM-109B cruise missiles.

The maximum number, up to 154 cruise missiles, could be carried by an Ohio-class nuclear submarine. The Americans built 18 such ships. All this suggests that the new weapon was planned to be used massively. In total, the Pentagon received funding for the construction and delivery of more than 4 thousand Tomahawk cruise missiles of various modifications to the US armed forces.

The latest modification of the Tomahawk Block IV missile, which began to be supplied to US strategic forces, on ships of the US Navy and Air Force, unlike previous modifications, is capable of targeting several targets at once. According to preliminary data, the newest rocket is capable of storing information about the location of 15 objects in memory. Moreover, the missile guidance system allows you to change the target parameters already during the flight. The know-how that the US military boasts of is the ability of a fired missile to loiter over an area, awaiting precise indication of targets and subsequent commands. In addition to improving the guidance system, work is actively underway to increase the power of the propulsion system. The latest modification of the rocket has an increased flight range due to reduced fuel consumption. Now “Tomahawks” will be capable of striking an enemy located at a distance of 3-4 thousand km from the launch site.

The work that is constantly being carried out to improve the cruise missile suggests that this weapon has great technical potential. The technical capabilities inherent in the missile design allow one to quickly change the technical parameters of the design, improving the tactical and technical characteristics of each new modification.

A cruise missile is a guided bomb with wings and an engine that allows it to fly 1.5-2 thousand kilometers to the target. But in the end, a charge will fall on the enemy’s head, generally identical to the warhead of a conventional, not the largest, aerial bomb weighing 300-400 kg.

And if in local conflicts many thousands of tons of air attack weapons are “poured” onto enemy positions, then it would be naive to believe that the use of a couple of dozen “flying bombs” can somehow influence the course of hostilities even in the most insignificant conflict. Which, in fact, is confirmed by the current chronicle of events: despite missile strikes by the Russian Navy and dozens of destroyed terrorist headquarters, there is no end in sight to the war in Syria.

Fact: During Operation Desert Storm, coalition air forces dropped 144 thousand tons of bombs on Iraqi army positions. 30% of the strikes were carried out by precision guided weapons, including almost three hundred Tomahawk cruise missiles. As a result of the missile and bomb extravaganza, Saddam's troops were forced to leave Kuwait, which had previously been occupied. However, despite all the fictitious and real losses, there was no talk of any total defeat of the Iraqi armed forces. Iraq has retained a significant part of its military potential. Otherwise, who did the Americans fight valiantly again twelve years later? Then, by the way, we had to fire 800 naval cruise missiles at Iraqi targets. This is not counting the rocket attack in 1998 (Operation Desert Fox), when an additional 218 Tomahawks were launched into Iraq.

From the above statistics it is clear that the combat value of single cruise missiles, like any conventional means, is, to put it mildly, small. Only their massive use can have a certain effect, and then only with direct complicity air force and ground forces.

SLCMs are suitable for hitting stationary targets with pre-known coordinates, which makes it impossible to use them in rapidly changing conditions on the battlefield. The situation is complicated by the hours of waiting for the slow missile (0.6-0.8 M) to reach the target... Finally, the inadequately high cost of SLCMs compared to conventional aircraft ammunition: up to $2 million for a serial Tomahawk. The cost of the Russian “Caliber” is classified, but taking into account their individual production, it exceeds the cost of a similar “Tomahawk” several times.

Sea-launched cruise missiles are a supporting element to enhance the firepower of the Air Force. And they are not at all similar to the “miracle weapons” that have been circulated in the press, capable of wiping off all the bases and armies of a “potential enemy” from the earth in the blink of an eye.

Fact: as of 2016, the Russian Navy has 17 SLCM carriers of the Kalibr family. Among them:

Multi-purpose nuclear submarine K-560 “Severodvinsk” (project 885 “Yasen”). In the middle part of the nuclear-powered ship there are eight SM-343 launch silos with four missile cells in each (total ammunition load is 32 “Caliber”).

Frigate pr. 22350 - “Admiral Gorshkov”. The ship's firing complex (UKSK) installed on it allows you to place 16 “Calibers” on board.

Three frigates pr. 11356: “Admiral Grigorovich”, “Admiral Essen” and “Admiral Makarov”. The ships are equipped with a UKSK module with eight cells for Caliber.

Patrol ship “Dagestan” (project 11661K). It has a similar UKSK module for eight cells.

Small missile ships, project 21631 “Buyan-M”, five units. They all have the same UKSK module for eight cells.

Diesel-electric submarines project 636.3 (modernized “Varshavyanka”), six units of the project. They are armed with four SLCMs (launched through standard 533 mm torpedo tubes).

Total: 17 carrier ships with 144 Caliber missiles installed on them.

The second major operator of sea-launched cruise missiles is the US Navy. They have a much more impressive arsenal of SLCMs and their carriers. “Tomahawks” can be placed on board 85 surface combatants and 57 nuclear submarines.

All American cruisers and destroyers are equipped with universal launch cells - from 90 to 122 per ship (only the Zamvolts had their number reduced to 80). As practice shows, during strike and “punitive” operations, up to half of a ship’s launch silos can be given over to the placement of Tomahawks. However, during normal combat duty, the number of cruise missiles on board is small or non-existent. Most of the air defense station, as a rule, is empty due to the lack of adequate tasks and the desire of the command to reduce the number of incidents by reducing the number of “dangerous toys” on board. The remaining silos are occupied by anti-aircraft missiles, space interceptors, and Asrok anti-submarine missile torpedoes.

The main method of placing “Axes” on American submarines is 12 vertical shafts in the bow of the Los Angeles and Virginia. Some of the outdated Loseys are capable of launching SLCMs horizontally through torpedo tubes.

The ammunition of Seawolf boats (8 TA, up to 50) is stored and used in a similar way. naval ammunition, incl. SLCM "Tomahawk").

Finally, the Ohio-class missile submarines. Four of the 18 SSBNs built under the START Treaty were converted into cruise missile carriers. There are seven Tomahawks in each of the 22 silos that previously housed Trident strategic missiles. The remaining two shafts were converted into airlock chambers for the exit of combat swimmers. Total: each special operations submarine can have 154 Axes on board. However, in practice everything is different: launch tubes are installed only in 14 shafts, the remaining eight are given over to the placement of diving equipment. The record salvo belongs to the Florida submarine, which launched 93 Tomahawks in one night (operation against Libya, 2011).

Due to the high unification of missiles and the possibility of their placement in any configuration, in accordance with the current situation and fleet tasks, it is impossible to establish the exact number of SLCMs on US Navy ships. From the presented facts it is clear that it can reach several thousand units.

Brief description of missiles

ZM-14 “Caliber” (the anti-ship version of the ZM-54 was not considered, since its design has little in common with the BD tactical cruise missile).

Length - from 7 to 8.2 meters.
Launch weight - according to various sources, from 1.77 to 2.3 tons.
Flight range - from 1.5 thousand in conventional to 2.5 thousand km in nuclear equipment (with a relatively light special warhead).
The mass of the high-explosive warhead is 450-500 kg.

Flight control and target targeting methods: during the cruising phase, the missile is controlled by an inertial system and also uses GPS/GLONASS satellite navigation data. Guidance is carried out at a radio-contrast ground target using the ARGS-14 radar homing head.

The first test launches from domestic ships - 2012. At the same time, export modifications of “Caliber” (Club) have been successfully supplied abroad since 2004.

BGM-109 TOMAHAWK

The original “Battle Ax” with a nuclear warhead was put into service in 1983. In 1986, its conventional analogue BGM-109C with a high-explosive warhead appeared, and from that moment the popularity of cruise missiles began to grow.

Below is data on the RGM/UGM-109E “Tactical Tomahawk” modification, which is the main modification of the SLCM in service with the US Navy. The main changes are aimed at reducing the cost of ammunition (missiles are not valuable, but consumables of war). Reduced weight, a body made of cheap plastic, a turbofan engine with a minimum resource, three fins instead of four, due to its “fragility” the rocket is no longer suitable for launching through a TA. In terms of accuracy and flexibility of use, the new missile, on the contrary, surpasses all previous versions. A two-way satellite communication channel allows the missile to be retargeted in flight. It became possible to fire only according to GPS coordinates (without the need to have photographic images and radio-contrast images of the target). Classic TERCOM (a navigation system that measures the height of the relief along the flight route) and DSMAC (optical and thermal sensors that determine the target by checking the data with the “picture” loaded into the missile’s memory) are supplemented with a TV camera for visual monitoring of the target’s condition.

Length - 6.25 m.
Launch weight - 1.5 tons.
Flight range - 1.6 thousand km.
The mass of the warhead is 340 kg.

Some conclusions from the above

1. Cruise missiles are not glorified “wonder weapons.” The destructive power of the CRBD is comparable to a 500 kg caliber aerial bomb. Is it possible to win a war by dropping just one or a few bombs on the enemy? Answer: of course not.

2. The ability to fire at targets deep in enemy territory is also not the prerogative of the CRBD. The Russian Aerospace Forces are armed with tactical air-launched cruise missiles with a flight range of 5 thousand km, which significantly exceeds the performance of any Caliber.

3. The INF Treaty, which Caliber fans refer to, is not worth a penny. Before you rejoice at how the ban on deploying cruise missiles with a range of over 500 km on land was circumvented, you need to think: is such a weapon necessary at all? This niche has long been firmly occupied by aviation: aircraft will “cover” any target, much faster and at a greater distance than the “Caliber” is capable of.

4. We will leave the stories about how five missile boats are hiding in the backwaters of the Volga and “holding at gunpoint” the whole of Europe on the conscience of journalists. Fussing with the RTO, which has only 8 cruise missiles out of serious armament, means one thing: USC is not capable of building a warship in the ocean zone, engaging in profanity and mastering the means of the GPV-2020. Such boats with “Caliber” mean nothing against the background of the power of the Russian aerospace forces.

5. Destruction of American missile defense facilities in Europe. Believe me, there are much more effective and effective ways than a handful of subsonic missiles that would take hours to crawl to Romania.

6. Taking into account the difference in the number of cruise missiles and their carriers, a ban on the deployment nuclear weapons on ships (with the exception of 14 strategic submarines) was an unconditional victory of Russian diplomacy over the American side.

7. Surface combat ships are built as platforms for the deployment of anti-aircraft weapons. It is a fact. Look at the birth of the Aegis, Ticonderoga and domestic Orlan class cruisers. On the number of anti-aircraft missiles, radars and air defense systems on board.

The appearance of a missile cruiser is not determined by missile silos with Tomahawks. The main design feature of the Ticonderoga is a huge superstructure with octagonal SPY-1 radar antennas placed on its walls.

The launches of hundreds of Tomahawks are a tribute to the unified vertical launch system. Allowing you to take on board SLCMs instead of part of the anti-aircraft ammunition. But it is by no means a primary task for a large warship.

(Based on materials from the website rusvesna.ru)