A Tomahawk missile is launched from an ABL
on an Iowa Class Battleship.
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During the reactivation of the Iowa Class
Battleships in the 1980’s two cruise missile systems were installed to enhance the
ships modern fighting ability. These systems give the ships a long-range strike capability
against both land and surface targets. This combination of gunfire and missile capability
makes the Iowas among the most heavily armed ships in the world.
The first system is the RGM-84 Harpoon cruise
missile. The Harpoon Weapons System is an anti-ship missile which gives the Iowa class an
over-the-horizon strike capability only dreamed of by the original designers. The system
consists of four Mark 141 launchers and sixteen RGM-84 missiles. Each of the launchers
holds a battery of four missiles contained in armored ceramic canisters. The missiles are
stored and fired from the canisters at a fixed angle. |
When the missile is fired a booster
propels the missile away from the ship, after approximately 5 miles the booster drops away
and is discarded. A turbojet engine then propels the missile to the target. The
stabilizing and actuator fins are stored folded in the canister and spring into position
after launching. These fins direct the missile to the target through inputs from the
guidance system.
The RGM-84 Harpoons firing weight is 1,530 pounds,
which includes a booster weighing about 362 pounds. The cruising speed is 0.87 Mach and
the maximum range is 64nm in Range and Bearing Launch mode and 85nm in Bearing Only Launch
mode.
The second system is the Tomahawk Weapons System.
This is an offensive missile system which gives the Iowa class a very long-range strike
capability against both surface and land targets. The Iowas generally carry
thirty-two BGM-109 series missiles in eight Armored Box Launchers. Each box launcher holds
a cluster of 4 missiles.
The Tomahawk series has three basic configurations:
the Anti-Ship Missile (TASM); the Land-Attack Missile-Conventional (TLAM-C); and the
Land-Attack Missile-Nuclear (TLAM-N). All variants are similar in appearance and use the
same airframe body and launcher.
The firing weight of the Tomahawk is 2,650 pounds
plus a 550 pound booster. It has a cruising speed of 0.5 Mach and an attack speed of 0.75
Mach. The TASM has an operating range of 250nm and a maximum range of 470nm, TLAM-C has a
maximum range of 675nm and TLAM-N a maximum range of 1,500nm.
The USS Wisconsin launches a Tomahawk Missile. Though
not as dramatic as a main battery firing, the greater range of the missile allows the
battleship to hit targets that would otherwise be unreachable.
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The above photo shows a close-up of a Tomahawk missile launch.
The top of the ABL can be seen to the right of the fireball. Just below the
flame the Harpoon Missile launch tubes are visible.
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