Key Points: The Tomahawk cruise missile revolutionized modern warfare, offering pinpoint precision and long-range strike capability since its debut during the Gulf War’s “shock and awe” campaign in 1991.
-Built by RTX Corporation, the Tomahawk has been used extensively in conflicts like Iraq, Yugoslavia, and the Global War on Terror, showcasing its adaptability across missions.
-Updated variants, including the Block IV and Block V, feature in-flight reprogramming and improved navigation.
-With a range of 1,000 miles and a history of successful operations, the Tomahawk remains a key asset for U.S. presidents and military planners, enabling decisive action without risking ground troops.
The Tomahawk Cruise Missile: The Key to Modern Warfare
Without Tomahawk cruise missiles, modern warfare would have been much different and less successful from an American point of view.
The Tomahawk allows pinpointed stand-off attacks that are fired from submarines and ships.
When U.S. presidents are confronted with situations that require an attack to target bad guys without using American boots on the ground, they can opt to use the Tomahawk cruise missile.
Part of Shock and Awe
The Tomahawk was first deployed during the “shock and awe” bombing campaign against Iraq in Operation Desert Storm in 1991.
Tomahawk Cruise Missile. Image Credit: US Navy.
This allowed for major destruction of Iraqi military bases, especially blind radar installations, and destroy command and control centers.
The Tomahawk allowed the United States and coalition forces to have much more success when the main ground combat operation began after the shock and awe phase.
Tomahawks Deter Saddam Hussein Again
In 1998, Iraq was still a problem, and 415 Tomahawks were launched against Iraqi military targets when Saddam Hussein refused United Nations weapon inspectors to enter the country. Tomahawks were used in the former Yugoslavia during the NATO-led bombing campaign against Serbia in 1999. In the Second Gulf War during the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, the Americans sent over 800 Tomahawks into Iraqi territory for a second dose of shock and awe warfare to prep the battlefield.
Use in the Global War on Terror
Since then, these missiles have been used to combat terrorism by targeting camps, training centers, and homes where terrorists lived and trained. Sometimes, Tomahawks have mistakenly launched at buildings where civilians have congregated. In 2009, 41 civilians were killed in an errant strike in Yemen.
History of the Tomahawk
The missile began its conception as far back as the Polaris submarine-launched missile program during the Cold War in the late 1950s. However, due to the advent and success of the Polaris, the Tomahawk project was set aside and did not emerge again until the 1970s. The weapons build-up during the Reagan administration in the 1980s saw the Tomahawk become a mature missile. There was initially a strategic version of the Tomahawk that could carry a nuclear warhead, but that was discarded during nuclear weapons negotiations with the Soviets in the 1980s.
At sea aboard USS Stethem (DDG 63) Ð A Tactical Tomahawk Cruise Missile launches from the guided missile destroyer USS Stethem (DDG 63) during a live-warhead test. The missile traveled 760 nautical miles to successfully impact itÕs intended target on San Clemente Island, part of the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) test range in Southern California. The Tactical Tomahawk is the next generation of Tomahawk cruise missile, adds the capability to reprogram the missile while in-flight to strike any of 15 preprogrammed alternate targets, or redirect the missile to any Global Positioning System (GPS) target coordinates. It also will be able to loiter over a target area for some hours, and with its on-board TV camera, will allow the war fighting commanders to assess battle damage of the target, and, if necessary redirect the missile to any other target. Launched from the Navy’s forward-deployed ships and submarines, Tactical Tomahawk will provide a greater flexibility to the on-scene commander. Tactical Tomahawk is scheduled to join the fleet in 2004. U.S. Navy photo. (RELEASED)
The first Tomahawk was fired by the USS Paul S. Foster to set off the aforementioned shock and awe mission during the First Gulf War in January of 1991. The United States has not looked back since then with more updated versions of the Tomahawk cruise missile.
Flash forward to 2024. A few weeks back, Tomahawks were believed to have been launched by the guided-missile submarine USS Georgia at about 15 Houthi targets in terrorist-held areas of Yemen.
British submarines also use the Tomahawk, but it is with the U.S. Navy that the cruise missile has proliferated so heavily. Tomahawks can also be triggered from ground launchers, but they are more prevalent in the Navy.
Different Variants of the Tomahawk
The Naval Air Systems Command has written an excellent primer on the Tomahawk that reveals more details about the Tomahawk.
“The Tomahawk Block III Conventional variant (TLAM-C) contains a 1,000-lb class blast/fragmentary unitary warhead while the Submunition variant (TLAM-D) includes a submunitions dispenser with combined effect bomblets. The Tomahawk Block IV (Tactical Tomahawk, TLAM-E), conventional variant, which entered the Fleet in 2004, adds the capability to reprogram the missile while in-flight via two-way satellite communications to strike any of 15 pre-programmed alternate targets or redirect the missile to any Global Positioning System (GPS) target coordinates,” according to NAVSEA Air Command.
The Tomahawk Block IV also has a video camera that allows for better bomb damage assessment. The Tomahawk Block V has improved navigation and can update targeting data during flight depending on the target status.
More Specs on this Excellent Cruise Missile
The Tomahawk flies its last phase low and fast – skimming over the water as it closes in on its target. The cruise missile is made by RTX Corporation – formerly Raytheon. Each missile costs over $2.4 million. The Tomahawk has a range of 1,000 miles. It is 20 feet long and only 21 inches in diameter. The Tomahawk weighs over 3,300 pounds with payload and motor.
Tomahawk Missile. Image: Creative Commons.
These missiles are so accurate they can be used in smaller numbers to decapitate the enemy command and control centers and go after individual targets, unlike conventional “dumb bombs” that need a large number of munitions to successfully strike a target.
Weapons of Presidents
While former President Donald Trump is familiar with the use of these missiles instead of deploying ground troops, if Vice President Kamala Harris takes over the White House, she will need to be briefed on how the Navy can launch these cruise missiles at a moment’s notice.
These are presidential-level assets, and admirals often recommend their use along with combat drones to hit targets when responding to imminent threats without having to place troops in harm’s way. The Tomahawks have an excellent combat record dating back to 1991. Look for more updates in the future that will make them even more effective.
Thus, the Tomahawks are here to stay and will be a factor going forward, no matter who the commander-in-chief is.
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare, plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
