The Tomahawk cruise missile is a modern ax of war. Russian miss: "Caliber" turned out to be unsuitable against Western missile defense. Characteristics of the warhead

After World War II, a rather difficult situation developed in the Western fleets. On the one hand, there were no problems with their number. On the other hand, there were difficulties with their high-quality composition. At that time, our country already had ships with powerful missile weapons, while the Western powers did not have anything close to that. The basis of their fleets were ships armed with old artillery systems and torpedoes.

At that time, all this looked like a terrible anachronism. The only exceptions were the cruiser (the prototype of our aircraft carriers) Long Beach and the nuclear aircraft carrier Enterprise. That is why, at the end of the 60s, feverish work began on the creation of guided cruise missiles, which were capable of dramatically increasing the combat effectiveness of fleets. This is how the Tomahawk cruise missile was born.

First experiments

Of course, work in this area had been carried out before that period, so the first samples appeared quite quickly, being based on relatively old developments. The very first option was a 55-inch caliber rocket, intended for use with Polaris-type launchers, which by that time were already supposed to be removed from service. It was supposed to be able to fly 3,000 miles. The use of outdated launchers made it possible to get by with “little loss” when re-equipping old ships.

The second option was a smaller 21-inch missile designed to be launched from submarine torpedo tubes. It was assumed that in this case the flight range would be about 1,500 miles. Simply put, the (US) Tomahawk cruise missile would be the trump card that would allow the USSR fleet to be blackmailed. Did the Americans achieve their goal? Let's find out.

Competition winners

In 1972 (phenomenal speed, by the way), the final version of the launcher for the new cruise missiles had already been selected. At the same time, the provision on their exclusively sea-based deployment was finally approved. In January, a government commission had already selected two of the most promising candidates to participate in full-scale trials. The first contender was products widely famous company General Dynamics.

It was model UBGM-109A. The second sample was produced by a little-known (and poorly lobbied) company LTV: the UBGM-110A missile. In 1976, they began to be tested, launching running prototypes from the side of a submarine. In general, none of the senior officials hid the fact that the winners had already recognized the 109A model in absentia.

In early March, the State Commission decided that the American Tomahawk cruise missile should become the main caliber of all US surface ships. Four years later the first launch takes place prototype from board American destroyer. In June of the same year, successful flight tests of the boat version of the rocket took place. This was a big event in the history of the entire fleet, as it was the first launch from a submarine. Over the next three years, new weapons were intensively studied and tested, and about a hundred launches were made.

In 1983, Pentagon officials announced that the new Tomahawk cruise missile had been fully tested and was ready for mass production. Around the same time in full swing domestic developments were underway in similar areas. We think you will be interested to know about the comparative characteristics domestic technology and weapons of a possible enemy of the times Cold War. So, Tomahawk and Caliber cruise missiles, comparison.

Comparison with "Caliber"

• The length of the hull without the starting accelerator (Tomahawk/Caliber) is 5.56/7.2 m.
• Length with starting amplifier - 6.25/8.1 m.
• Wingspan - 2.67/3.3 m.
• The mass of a non-nuclear warhead is 450 kg (USA/RF).
• The power of the nuclear version is 150/100-200 kT.
• The flight speed of the Tomahawk cruise missile is 0.7 M.
• The speed of the "Caliber" is 0.7 M.

But in terms of flight range, it is impossible to make an unambiguous comparison. The fact is that both new and old modifications of missiles are in service. The old ones are equipped only with a nuclear warhead and can fly up to 2.6 thousand km. The new ones carry a non-nuclear warhead; the range of the Tomahawk cruise missile is up to 1.6 thousand km. Domestic "Calibers" can carry both types of filling, the flight range is 2.5/1.5 thousand km, respectively. In general, in terms of this indicator, the characteristics of weapons are practically no different.

This is what characterizes the Tomahawk and Caliber cruise missiles. Comparing them shows that the capabilities of both types of weapons are approximately identical. This is especially true for speed. The Americans have always noted that this figure is higher for their missiles. But the latest upgrades to the Caliber fly no slower.

Basic technical specifications

The new weapon model is made according to a monoplane aircraft design. The body is cylindrical, the fairing is ogival in shape. The wing can be folded and recessed into a special compartment located in the central part of the rocket; a cross-shaped stabilizer is located at the rear. The body is made from various options of aluminum alloys, epoxy resins and carbon fiber. All of them have extremely low aerodynamic drag, since the speed of the Tomahawk cruise missile is very high. Any “roughness” with such characteristics is dangerous, since the body can simply fall apart on the move.

To minimize the visibility of the device to locators, a special coating is applied to the entire surface of the body. In general, in this regard, the Tomahawk cruise missile (a photo of which you will see in the article) is noticeably better than its competitors. Although experts agree that the predominant role in ensuring invisibility for locators belongs to the flight pattern, in which the missile flies, making maximum use of the terrain features, and on minimum height.

Characteristics of the warhead

The main highlight of the missile is the W-80 warhead. Its weight is 123 kilograms, length is one meter, diameter is 30 cm. The maximum blasting power is 200 kT. The explosion occurs after direct contact of the fuse with the target. When using a nuclear weapon, the diameter of destruction in a densely populated area can reach three kilometers.

One of the most important features of the Tomahawk cruise missile is its very high guidance accuracy, due to which this ammunition is capable of hitting small and maneuvering targets. The probability of this ranges from 0.85 to 1.0 (depending on the location and launch location). Simply put, the accuracy of the Tomahawk cruise missile is very high. The non-nuclear warhead has some armor-piercing effect and can include up to 166 small-caliber bombs. The weight of each charge is 1.5 kilograms, all of them are in 24 bundles.

Control and targeting systems

High target targeting accuracy is ensured through the combined operation of several telemetry systems:

• The simplest of them is inertial.
• The TERCOM system is responsible for following the contours of the terrain.
• The DSMAC electro-optical anchoring service allows an incoming missile to be guided directly to a target with exceptional accuracy.

Characteristics of control circuits

The simplest system is inertial. The mass of this equipment is 11 kilograms, it works only at the initial and middle stages of flight. It consists of an on-board computer, an inertial platform and a fairly simple altimeter, which is based on a reliable barometer. Three gyroscopes determine the amount of deviation of the rocket body from a given course and three accelerometers, with the help of which the on-board electronics determine the acceleration of these accelerations with high accuracy. This system alone allows you to adjust the course by approximately 800 meters for every hour of flight.

Much more reliable and accurate is DSMAC, the most advanced version of which is the Tomahawk BGM 109 A cruise missile. It should be noted that for this equipment to operate, a digitized survey of the area over which the Tomahawk will fly must first be loaded into the equipment’s memory. This allows you to set a reference not only to coordinates, but also to the terrain. A similar scheme, by the way, is used not only by the American Tomahawk cruise missile, but also by the domestic Granit.

Information about startup methods and settings

On ships, both standard torpedo tubes and special vertical launch silos (as for submarines) can be used to store and launch this type of weapon. If we talk about surface ships, then container launchers are mounted on them. It should be noted that the Tomahawk ship-borne cruise missile, the characteristics of which we are considering, is stored in a special steel capsule, being “preserved” in a layer of nitrogen under high pressure.

Storage in such conditions not only makes it possible to guarantee the normal operation of the device for 30 months at once, but also to place it in a conventional torpedo silo without the slightest modification to the design of the latter.

Features of trigger mechanisms

American submarines have four standard torpedo tubes. They are located two on each side. The angle of location is 10-12 degrees, which makes it possible to fire a torpedo salvo from maximum depth. This circumstance makes it possible to significantly reduce unmasking factors. The pipe of each apparatus consists of three sections. As in domestic torpedo silos, American missiles are located on supporting rollers and guides. Firing is initiated depending on the opening or closing of the cover of the apparatus, which makes it impossible to “shot in the foot” when the torpedo explodes in the submarine itself.

There is an inspection window on the back cover of the torpedo tube, with which you can monitor the filling of its cavity and the condition of the mechanisms, with a pressure gauge. The leads from the ship's electronics are also attached there, which controls the processes of opening the covers of the device, their closing and the actual launch process. The Tomahawk cruise missile (you will read its characteristics in the article) is fired from the silo due to the operation of hydraulic drives. One hydraulic cylinder is installed for every two devices on each side, it works as follows:

• First, a certain volume of compressed air is supplied to the system, which simultaneously acts on the hydraulic cylinder rod.
• Due to this, it begins to supply water to the cavity of the torpedo tubes.
• Since they fill with water quickly, starting from the rear section, a cavity is created overpressure, sufficient to push out a missile or torpedo.
• The entire structure is made in such a way that only one device can be connected to the pressure tank at a time (that is, two on both sides). This prevents uneven filling of the cavities of the torpedo tubes.

As we have already said, in the case of surface ships, vertically located launch containers are used. In their case, there is an expelling powder charge, which makes it possible to slightly increase the flight range of the Tomahawk cruise missile by saving the life of its main engine.

Firing process control

For holding everyone preparatory stages and, in fact, the launch is carried out not only by the specialists at combat posts, but also by the fire control system (also known as SUS). Its components are located both in the torpedo compartment itself and on the command bridge. Of course, the order to launch can only be given from a central point. Duplicate instruments are also displayed there, showing the characteristics of the rocket and its readiness for launch in real time.

One thing to note important feature American naval units. They use complex automated system adjustments and integrations. Simply put, several submarines and surface ships armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles, the performance characteristics of which are given in the article, can act as a single “organism” and fire missiles at the same target almost simultaneously. Given the high probability of a hit, even an enemy ship or ground group with a powerful and layered air defense system will almost certainly be destroyed.

Cruise missile launch

After receiving the launch order, pre-flight preparation begins, which should take no more than 20 minutes. At the same moment, the pressure in the torpedo tube is compared with that at the diving depth, so that nothing interferes with the launch of the rocket.

All data necessary for firing is entered. When a signal is received, hydraulics push the rocket out of the shaft. It always reaches the surface at an angle of about 50 degrees, which is achieved as a result of the operation of stabilization systems. Soon after this, the squibs drop the fairings, the wings and stabilizers open, and the main engine turns on.

During this time, the rocket manages to take off to a height of approximately 600 m. On the main part of the trajectory, the flight altitude does not exceed 60 meters, and the speed reaches 885 km/h. First, guidance and course correction are carried out by the inertial system.

Modernization works

Currently, the Americans are working to increase the flight range to three to four thousand kilometers at once. It is planned to achieve such indicators through the use of new engines, fuel, as well as reducing the mass of the rocket itself. Research is already underway to create new materials based on carbon fiber reinforced plastics that will be very strong and lightweight, but at the same time cheap enough to be put into mass production.

Secondly, it is planned to significantly improve target targeting accuracy. This is expected to be achieved through the introduction of new modules into the rocket design, responsible for precise satellite positioning.

Thirdly, the Americans would not mind increasing the launch depth from 60 meters to (at least) 90-120 meters. If they succeed, the fact of the Tomahawk launch will become even more difficult to detect. It must be said that domestic designers are currently working on almost the same tasks, but in relation to our “Granit”. In addition, work is underway to reduce the radar signature of the missile and counter air defense systems.

For this purpose it is planned to use more powerful computer systems to work closely with your interference suppression devices. If all this works together, and the speed is increased, then the Tomahawks will be able to effectively pass through many layered air defense systems.

A unique feature of modern American-made missile launchers is the ability to use them as UAVs: the missile can fly near the intended target for at least 3.5 hours, during which time it transmits all received data to the control center.

Combat use

For the first time, new missiles were widely used during the notorious Operation Desert Storm, which was initiated in 1991 and was directed against the Iraqi authorities. The Americans launched 288 Tomahawks from submarines and surface flotilla ships. At least 85% of them are believed to have achieved their targets. During the numerous military conflicts in which the United States has participated from 1991 to the present, they have spent at least 2,000 cruise missiles of various modifications. However, exclusively non-nuclear ammunition was used.

They will rain fire from the sky. Like a gust of “divine wind” sweeping away enemy battalions from the face of the Earth. Winged suicide robots. They are braver than the bravest kamikazes and more ruthless than the fiercest SS Sonderkommandos.

Not a single muscle will tremble in the face of death. Machines are not afraid to kill and die. They are already dead to begin with. And, if necessary, they will disappear without hesitation in a blinding flash when colliding with a target.

In the meantime... the rocket rushes through the darkness of the night to the place of its death.
An hour ago, she left the cozy cell on board the submarine and, breaking through a layer of cold water, jumped to the surface. The booster flame roared, lifting the Tomahawk to a height of 1,000 feet. There, on the descending branch of the launch site, the engine air intake extended, the short wings and tail unit opened: the combat robot rushed behind the head of its victim. Now nothing can save the unfortunate people whose photographs are placed in the memory of the flying killer...

Myth No. 1. The Tomahawk solves everything.

Nikita Sergeevich, are you still here?!

Missile euphoria does not leave minds and hearts: the impressive capabilities of the “Axe” have given rise to confidence that the use of cruise missiles alone can bring victory in any war.

Why risk an expensive plane and the priceless life of the pilot? These endless trainings and advanced training of flight crews. Airfields, fuel, ground staff...
Why such difficulties and unjustified risk if you can drive a squadron of submarines and pelt the enemy with thousands of flying suicide robots? The flight range of the "Axe" in the "conventional" version - 1200...1600 km - allows you to complete the mission without entering the enemy army's kill zone. Simple, effective and safe.

12 launchers in the bow of the Los Angeles-class submarine

The mass of the missile warhead is 340 kg. There are a dozen different warhead options for various types targets: cluster, armor-piercing, semi-armor-piercing, “conventional” high-explosive warheads... Several attack algorithms: from horizontal flight, from a dive, with detonation during horizontal flight over the target. All this allows you to complete almost any task on enemy territory.

Eliminate the selected target, destroy any military or civilian infrastructure. Destroy the airfield's runway, set fire to a hangar with military equipment, knock down a radio tower, blow up a power plant, break through several meters of earth and concrete - and destroy a protected command post.

Work is continuously underway to expand the tactical flexibility of using cruise missiles: the latest modification of the RGM/BGM-109E Tactical Tomahawk was equipped with satellite communications and GPS navigation units. New rocket knows how to loiter in the air, waiting for the right moment to attack. In addition, she gained the ability to reprogram in flight and, depending on the situation, attack one of 15 pre-designated targets.

Attack from level flight

The only thing that the Tomahawk still cannot do is attack moving objects.*

* the ability to effectively hit moving targets, incl. ships, was implemented in the Tomahawk modification Block IV Multi-Mode Mission (TMMM), which was recognized as excessively expensive and was never adopted by the US Navy

In addition, there was a modification of the BGM-109B Tomahawk Anti-Ship Missle (TASM) - an anti-ship version of the Tomahawk with an active radar seeker from the Harpoon anti-ship missile system. Due to the lack of a worthy enemy, TASM was withdrawn from service about 10 years ago.

Intercept a convoy with (for example, S-300 air defense vehicles on the march) or delay an advancing tank battalion? Modern cruise missiles are powerless on such missions. We'll have to call the air force.
Frontline bombers, attack aircraft, attack helicopters, UAVs, after all, these “birds” still have no equal over the battlefield. High tactical flexibility (up to complete cancellation of the mission and return to base) and a wide range of ammunition make aviation indispensable in the fight against ground targets.

Nevertheless, the trend is clear: the experience of local wars over the past 20 years has demonstrated a 10-fold increase in the role of sea-launched cruise missiles (SLCMs). Every year, “Tomahawks” acquire new skills and “gain permission” to perform increasingly complex tasks.

The destroyer USS Barry (DDG-52) shells Libya as part of Operation Odyssey Dawn (2011)

As practice has shown, SLCMs are quite successful in “trampling” the victim into Stone Age, destroy the air defense system and disorganize the enemy army. Left in the very first hours of the war without radars, air defense systems, airfields, power plants, fuel storage facilities, cell and radio communication towers, command posts etc. strategically important objects, the enemy turns out to be unable to provide serious resistance. Now you can take it “warm”.

In such conditions, ultra-expensive and complex stealth aircraft and other “raptors” become unnecessary. Bomb bridges and retreating tank columns from an unattainable height? Simple and cheap F-16s can easily cope with this task.

Myth No. 2. "Tomahawk" is capable of hitting a window.

The accuracy of the Tomahawk is a source of heated debate. During Operation Desert Storm, fragments of American missiles were found even in Iran - some of the Axes veered off course by several hundred kilometers! The result of a programmer error or an accidental failure in the on-board computer of the rocket...

But what are the real capabilities of the Tomahawks? What is the calculated value of their circular probable deviation (CPD)?

Traditional Tomahawk guidance methods include:

INS for flights over terrain with weak radar contrast (for example, over the sea - the water is the same everywhere). Gyroscopes and accelerometers operate until the missile arrives in the first correction area over the enemy’s coast, then guidance is carried out using more high-tech methods.

Terrain Contour Matching (TERCOM) relief metric system - scans the underlying terrain and compares the received data with radar images stored in the missile's memory.

The very principle of TERCOM’s operation is the basis for many jokes: “While the Yankees are preparing the flight mission, our construction battalion will dig up the entire terrain again”! But seriously speaking, TERCOM is one of the most reliable and effective ways SLCM guidance. The Tomahawk navigates the terrain autonomously: it does not need constant guidance from a satellite or from a remote operator. This increases reliability and eliminates the risk of being deceived by enemy signals.

On the other hand, this imposes a number of limitations - for example, TERCOM is ineffective when flying over deserts or snowy tundra. The terrain should include a maximum of contrasting objects (hills, roads and clearings, railway embankments, settlements). The route is laid in such a way as to avoid open water spaces (lakes, estuaries) on the path of the rocket big rivers etc.) - otherwise, this may lead to critical failures in the rocket’s navigation system.

All this creates for the Yankees such a problem as the “predictability” of their missile attacks and, as a result, an increase in losses among the missiles fired. The enemy (if, of course, he has even a drop of intelligence) will quickly figure out the main directions of the threat - and deploy air defense systems there.

Third method of guidance. The optical-electronic system DSMAC in the final part of the trajectory of the rocket behaves like the legendary Terminator from James Cameron's action movie: it continuously scans the area with its electronic “eye”, comparing the appearance of the “victim” with a digital photograph embedded in its memory. The future has already arrived!

Finally, the latest modification of the “Axe” received the ability to navigate using GPS data. This greatly simplifies the process of preparing for launch, because... there is no need for complex maps for TERCOM operation (routes and radar images of the area are prepared in advance, on shore - in the flight mission preparation centers on the territory of the Norfolk and Camp Smith naval bases).

If operating in GPS navigation mode, the ship’s crew can independently “drive” coordinates into the rocket’s memory, without any specific description of the target - then the rocket will do everything itself, simply exploding near the specified location. Accuracy decreases, but efficiency increases. Now SLCMs can be used as a means of fire support and work on emergency calls for Marines.

In field conditions, if available high-quality images“targets”, the value of the circular probable deviation of the “Tomahawk” is indicated within 5...15 meters. And this is with a launch range of 1000 kilometers or more! Impressive.

Myth No. 3. The Tomahawk is easy to shoot down.

Well, then do it! Doesn't work?...

The safety of the Ax is ensured by its secrecy. The extremely low flight altitude - only a few tens of meters - makes it invisible to ground-based radars. The radio horizon in this case does not exceed 20-30 km, and if we take into account natural obstacles (hills, buildings, trees), detecting a low-flying missile that cleverly hides in the folds of the terrain seems to be a very dubious undertaking.

Special operations boat based on the USS Ohio. Just 22 missile silos the ship accommodates 154 Tomahawks + 2 shafts are used as airlocks for combat swimmers

To detect, escort and hit such a “difficult target” from the ground - this requires a large amount of luck and, preferably, knowledge of the most likely approach routes for Tomahawks. A coincidence, nothing more. There is no need to talk about any effective counteraction to swarms of SLCMs.

Intercepting an Ax by air is no less difficult - the small size and EPR of the missile make “hunting Tomahawks” an extremely difficult undertaking.

Dimensions of the Tomahawk SLCM: length - 5.6 m, wingspan - 2.6 m.
For comparison, the dimensions of the Su-27 fighter: length - 22 meters, wingspan - 14.7 meters.

“Axe” has a smooth, streamlined shape, without any radio-contrast parts or hanging elements. The Yankees are hinting at the use of radio-absorbing coatings and materials transparent to radio waves in its design. Even without taking into account the elements of stealth technology, the effective dispersion area of ​​the Tomahawk missile does not exceed 1 square meter. meters - too little to detect it from a great distance. Finally, the search for a flying missile is carried out against the background of the earth, which introduces additional difficulties into the operation of fighter radars.

Official data on the MiG-31 interceptor confirms the following: from an altitude of 6000 meters, target acquisition with an ESR of 1 square. meter flying at an altitude of 60 meters is carried out at a distance of 20 km.
Considering that only one SSGN on the Ohio platform is capable of launching up to 154 SLCMs, the required number of fighters to repel an attack will exceed the capabilities of the Air Force of any of the countries against which the Yankees are going to fight.

Wreckage of a downed Tomahawk at the Belgrade Aviation Museum

In practice, the situation looked like this: during the NATO aggression against Yugoslavia, the US and British Navy fired about 700 Tomahawks at targets on the territory of the FRY. Official Serbian sources give figures of 40...45 SLCMs shot down, NATO representatives disagree and give even lower figures. In general, the situation is sad: the Serbian military barely managed to shoot down 5% of the missiles fired at them.
It is noteworthy that one of the “Axes” was shot down by a Serbian MiG-21 - the pilot established visual contact with it, got close and shot the robot from the on-board cannon.

Myth No. 4. "Tomahawks" are only suitable for war with the Papuans.

The cost of a Tomahawk missile, depending on its modification and type of warhead, can reach $2 million. To release 500 of these “things” means ruining the US budget by 1 billion green banknotes.
Flight range 1200…1600 km. Warhead 340 kg. Combined guidance system - relief TERCOM, DSMAC, satellite communication and navigation systems. The starting weight is within one and a half tons. Carriers are destroyers and nuclear submarines.

No, gentlemen. So destructive and expensive weapons was not created to exterminate the unfortunate inhabitants of Papua New Guinea. The Tomahawk should be used wisely; just scattering two million rockets across the desert is an unheard of extravagance even for wealthy Yankees.

Launch of a Tomahawk SLCM from the nuclear-powered cruiser USS Mississippi (CGN-40), Operation Desert Storm, 1991. The missile is launched from an armored launcher Mk.143 Armored Launch Box

You don’t need to be smart enough to determine the purpose of cruise missiles - a stunning blow to the military and civilian infrastructure of an enemy that has some military potential: Syria, Iran, Iraq, Yugoslavia... Against those who are able to snap back and resist.

In these cases, the Yankees pull out their “insurance policy” from their sleeve - a flock of flying killers that will “clear” corridors in the country’s air defense system, disorganize the enemy army and allow NATO aircraft to seize air supremacy. The Tomahawk cruise missile is not subject to any arms limitation treaties or conventions - which means you can feel free to launch Axes left and right without any remorse.

As for ordinary Basmachi with Berdan guns, the Yankees smear them with 105 mm howitzers installed in the openings of the sides of AS-130 “gunships”. Tomahawk missiles and other high-tech are of no use there.

Myth No. 5. "Tomahawks" pose a danger to Russia

Russia, along with India and China, is one of the few countries that can ignore the US Navy and its saber-rattling. "Tomahawk" - clean tactical weapon for local wars. This trick won't work with Russia - the Russian General Staff won't understand American jokes, and it could end in a terrible thermonuclear massacre.

Even in theory, with a ratified treaty with the United States on mutual renunciation of the use of nuclear weapons, naval cruise missiles are ineffective against purely continental Russia - all industrial centers, arsenals and strategically important facilities are located a thousand kilometers from the coast, at the limit of the Tomahawk's flight range.

As for the possible equipping of "Axes" with thermonuclear warheads - this threat would make sense only in the absence of intercontinental ballistic missiles. In the event of a war with the use of Trident-2, a belated strike with cruise missiles (the flight time of the Tomahawks will be calculated in many hours) will no longer have any significance.

The thrifty Yankees were well aware of the futility of the Ax as a carrier of nuclear weapons, so they scrapped all their nuclear SLCMs 20 years ago.

Number of nuclear warheads in service with the US Armed Forces. Thick line - strategic warheads for ICBMs. The thin line is “tactical” nuclear weapons, incl. "Tomahawks" with SBCh

Launch of a Tomahawk from the bow launcher of the destroyer USS Farragut (DDG-99)

In a sense, it was cruise missiles that turned out to be the first combat drones, only disposable ones. About the differences combat use KR and UAVs are discussed in his article on the pages of the Russian Arms news agency by Alexander Khramchikhin, Deputy Director of the Institute of Political and Military Analysis.

The combat use of cruise missiles began earlier than UAVs. The ancestor of this class of weapons in its modern sense were American missiles, primarily the BGM-109 Tomahawk SLCM, which are now perceived almost as synonymous with the very concept of “cruise missile.”

The US Navy ordered 361 Tomahawk Block IV cruise missiles from Raytheon for a total cost of $337.84 million.

The Tomahawk has become an extremely successful weapon, despite such serious shortcomings as low speed with a complete lack of defensive capabilities. The main advantage of Tomahawks is the safety and impunity of their use with very high efficiency; this allows us to neglect these disadvantages.

The United States has already spent more than 1.9 thousand SLCMs and ALCMs in wars with fairly good results. Although there were misses and losses of missiles various reasons, most of them hit their intended targets.

In the US Navy, 7 types of ships carry SLCMs.

1. Ohio-class SSGN(4 units) – up to 154 SLCMs each in special silos (instead of silos for SLBMs).

2. Virginia-class submarine(9 units, a total of 30-40 will be built) - each has 12 SLCMs in special silos, up to 38 more can, along with torpedoes and Harpoon anti-ship missiles, be part of the ammunition intended for firing through torpedo tubes.

3. Seawolf type PLA(3 units) – each has up to 50 SLCMs as part of the ammunition fired through the TA.

4. Los Angeles class submarine(42 units + 1 in reserve, gradually being withdrawn from the Navy) - each has 12 SLCMs in special silos (for 31 submarines) and up to 37 as part of the ammunition fired through the tube.

5. Ticonderoga-class cruisers(22 units) – each with up to 122 SLCMs in 2 UVP Mk41.

6. Arleigh Burke-class destroyers(60 units, it will be 75 or 99) – up to 90 SLCMs in 2 Mk41 airborne missile launchers on the first 28 ships, up to 96 on the next.

7. Zamvolt-class destroyers(3 will be built) – each with up to 80 SLCMs in 2 UVP Mk57.

In total, the US Navy has approximately 2.5-2.8 thousand SLCMs, primarily the latest modification of the Tactical Tomahawk (361 more were recently ordered). It should be noted that this missile cannot be launched from SSN torpedo tubes, but only from special silos.

In the US Air Force, the only carrier of ALCM is the B-52 strategic bomber, capable of carrying up to 20 such missiles (AGM-86 and AGM-129). The number of B-52s in the Air Force theoretically reaches 89, of which 13 are located at the base - the Davis-Monthan warehouse.

Presumably, the total number of B-52s will soon be reduced to 40-50 vehicles; they will remain in service until 2044. Currently, the Air Force has approximately 1.6 thousand ALCMs (a total of 1,733 AGM-86 and 676 AGM-129 were manufactured ).

UK Army cruise missile carriers

In addition to the United States, Tomahawks are in service with the British Navy; all British submarines are equipped with them (6 Trafalgar types and 2 Estute types, 6 of the latter will also be built).

Very high efficiency, high flight range (1.2-2.5 thousand km depending on the modification), safety and impunity of use with the relative cheapness of the American Tomahawks have generated significant interest in cruise missiles.

Main competitors of Tomahawks

Today, the main competitors of the Tomahawks are the Yakhont-Onyx-Brahmos (Russian-Indian) and (Club) (Russian) families of cruise missiles. The winged one has a fairly powerful warhead (250 kg) and long range flight (300 km) at very high speed flight (up to 2.5M) and a minimum flight altitude of 5 m, which makes it virtually invulnerable to any existing air defense/missile defense systems.

In addition, this missile is universal in terms of carriers (surface ships, Su-30 fighters, ground-based launchers). In terms of speed and versatility, this family of missiles is superior to the American Tomahawk missiles (inferior to it in range), and has no other analogues in principle.

Already, all 10 submarines of Project 877, 5 Rajput-class destroyers, the last 3 Delhi-class destroyers, all frigates of Project 17 and Talwar of the Indian Navy are armed with Brahmos anti-ship missiles. They will also be used to arm the Calcutta-class destroyers, of which it is planned to build from 7 to 11 units.

BrahMos missile launchers on Indian Navy destroyer Rajput

Obviously, the ground version of the missile will be widely used; all (more than 270) Su-30s of the Indian Air Force will be carriers of the Brahmos. In Russia itself there will be much fewer carriers of the Onyx missile launcher. So far these are only promising Project 885M submarines; in addition, it is planned to re-equip Project 949A submarines with these missiles.

The Bastion complex is offered in two versions: mobile "Bastion-P" and stationary "Bastion-S"

Also in Russia, Vietnam and Syria there is a coastal version of the Onyx-Yakhont missiles (it’s called). The most important advantage of the Caliber (Club) missiles is the possibility of hidden deployment in containers that are no different in appearance from conventional cargo ones.

Accordingly, they can be used from civilian ships (container ships can carry hundreds of such missiles), car trailers, and trains. Whether Russia itself or any other country has such a deployed version of the “Caliber” is unknown.

But it is known that these missiles are in service with diesel submarines Project 877 and 636 of the Russian Navy, the Chinese Navy, India, and in the future Vietnam. They can also be used from Russian submarines of Project 971, promising frigates of Project 11356 and Project 20385, corvettes of Project 20385, Indian frigates of the Talvar and Shivalik types (Project 17).

These missiles can hit ground and surface targets, and there is also an anti-submarine version. In general, both of these families are superior to the Tomahawk in terms of launcher versatility.

Taking into account the high flight speed, the possibility of use from ground-based launchers and from tactical (front-line) aircraft makes Russian missiles more functional than American ones, although they are inferior in flight range.

The DH-10 ground-based cruise missile (located in mobile launchers three missiles each)

At the same time, India is also creating its own Nirbey cruise missile. It will be as versatile in terms of carriers as the Brahmos, and its flight range will reach 1 thousand km, although its speed will be subsonic. In addition to these countries, cruise missiles are being developed by states that have the technological capabilities for this, and at the same time are ready for a serious war. These are China, Taiwan, Republic of Korea, Pakistan.

Moreover, for Taiwan, the massive deployment of cruise missiles various types basing is the only (albeit very slim) chance of salvation in the event of Chinese aggression.

Naturally, China is the most active in creating cruise missiles, which has at its disposal both Soviet ones received from Ukraine and Tomahawks purchased in Pakistan. By synthesizing them, the DH-10 and CJ-10 missiles were created, which can be used against both ground and surface targets, used from automobile and ship launchers, as well as from the N-6M bomber.

CJ-10 missiles were created by synthesizing existing missiles

It is assumed that these missiles combine supersonic speed with a very high range (2.5-4 thousand km). A family of subsonic cruise missiles, the HN, is also being created, which will be launched from various launchers, including the JH-7 tactical bomber, submarines, destroyers and frigates of Project 054A.

The Republic of Korea has created the Hyunmu-3 family of subsonic SLCMs with a flight range of 500 to 2000 km, launched from existing submarines and destroyers, as well as from promising Incheon-class frigates.

Taiwan is creating cruise missiles based on the Hsiung Feng-2 anti-ship missile system. They are subsonic, their flight range is, according to various sources, from 600 to 1000 km. A significant part of the largest cities and objects of the “new economy” in southeast China, the most developed region of the PRC, fall within their reach.

In combination with numerous “Xiong Feng” variants of the anti-ship missile system itself (including the supersonic “Xiong Feng-3”), they can create certain problems for China in the event of an attempt to solve the “Taiwan problem” by force, although they are unlikely to prevent the seizure of the island. The Pakistani Babur and Raad cruise missiles were discussed in the article “Unofficial Potentials”.

The same article stated that Israel is capable of using SLCMs, incl. in nuclear equipment, with Dolphin-class submarines, but it is not very clear what kind of missiles these are. Apparently we're talking about about a naval version of the Popeye aircraft missile, the range of which may reach 1.5 thousand km. Air-launched cruise missiles have a shorter range than SLCMs due to weight and size limitations.

In addition to Brahmos and the Chinese HN-1, these include American rocket JASSM AGM-158, the range of which is 360 km, and the latest modification – 980 km. Almost all American combat aircraft carry it.

German-Swedish Taurus ALCM with a range of 500 km

European fighters can be armed with the German-Swedish Taurus ALCM with a range of 500 km and the Anglo-French Storm Shadow/Scalp with a range of 250 km. All these missiles are subsonic. High accuracy and significant range, exceeding the range of the vast majority or even all air defense systems, guarantee further expansion of the use of cruise missiles of all deployment options.

These missiles can be successfully used in both classical and counterinsurgency wars. In this case, of course, the main area for the development, production and use of this class of weapons will be the new center of the world - Asia.

Moscow, April 7 - "Vesti.Ekonomika". For the first time since the beginning of the long-term conflict in Syria, the United States launched a massive missile attack on the republic’s air force base.

Syrian sources reported that there were casualties. Homs Governor Talal al-Barrazi said that after the airstrike a fire started and several people were injured. Authorities do not yet have accurate information on the number of dead and injured.

Later it became known that civilians living in a village near the base were killed.

US President Donald Trump called the strike a “proportionate response” to the alleged April 4 attack by Syrian authorities on civilians in Idlib.

Thus, the current American president crossed a line that his predecessor Barack Obama, who limited himself to military support for the Syrian opposition, did not dare to cross.

According to official information from the Pentagon, the strike was carried out on the Shayrat airbase by the Syrian Air Force at 4:40 local time (3:40 Moscow time) from the waters Mediterranean Sea from the destroyers Ross and Porter. 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired. The United States carried out this strike independently, without the participation of its allies.

How much does it cost to launch?

Less than an hour after the airstrikes became known, Donald Trump went to the press and said that he was guided by the “vital interests of the United States.”

The Tomahawk missile was created in the 1970s, but gained prominence in 1991 during the US invasion of Iraq, where they carried out Operation Desert Storm.

At that time, Tomahawk missiles were often used to destroy enemy military targets.

Over the past decades, the cost of Tomahawk missiles has increased significantly, due to the use of new technologies and warhead upgrades. Currently, Tomahawk missiles can be launched from ships and other devices.

The current version of the Tomahawk missile allows for more accurate impact timing. It can also be reprogrammed during flight so that the target is changed.

The Tomahawk missile program has been around for decades and costs more than $10 billion, and that's just development money.

That is, this amount does not include the direct cost of the missiles themselves.

The cost of the Tomahawk missile itself depends on its type. Simpler versions of the missile cost $500,000. According to NBC News, the missiles used in Syria cost about that much.

However, there is a Block IV version of the Tomahawk missile that is more sophisticated and can hit moving targets. Its cost reaches $1.5 million.

According to American media reports, total cost strike on Syria, which was carried out on the orders of President Trump, amounted to between $30 million and $100 million.

And if we compare these costs with Syria’s losses in monetary terms, the effectiveness of the strikes will be very low.

The purpose of the strike, as stated by US officials, was to destroy the military equipment of the Syrian army. But the Shayrat airfield has been used for several months as a “warehouse” for equipment that needs serious repairs or is awaiting decommissioning.

The Syrian military itself reports that six MiG-23s requiring repairs, an An-26 transport, partially dismantled and preparing for disposal, several other small aircraft, as well as auxiliary equipment in the form of tankers, trucks and cars were destroyed.

The total damage is estimated at only $3-5 million.

USA against ISIS: numbers and facts

The United States attacked the Syrian army base at Shayrat. The United States launched more than 50 Tomahawk cruise missiles from ships in the Mediterranean, the Pentagon said.

The United States has long been waging an unofficial war against ISIS (a terrorist organization banned in the Russian Federation).

As of January 31, the cost of the US military campaign in the Middle East reached $6.2 billion, or about $480 thousand for every hour of the campaign.

And the costs continue to rise: The Pentagon is asking for an additional $7.5 billion from the budget in order to continue the fight against the terrorist organization.

This is double the amount allocated in 2016.

Now that Trump has struck Syria, we can expect further escalation of the conflict and further military action in the Middle East.

We decided to give some figures and facts about how the US military campaign has developed so far.

The US-led coalition has carried out more than 10,200 airstrikes against ISIS targets in Syria and Iraq.

Objects destroyed by the United States during airstrikes in Syria and Iraq

More than 37 thousand bombs and missiles were dropped, and more than 50 thousand terrorists were killed, according to the Pentagon.

According to other sources, during the operation, 32 thousand targets were hit, including 164 tanks, 400 vehicles and 2,638 oil infrastructure facilities.

US and coalition airstrikes destroyed numerous infrastructure assets, as well as a cash vault believed to contain millions of dollars needed for operations terrorist organization.

The bombings also affected civilian population. However, the exact data on casualties is contradictory. According to the Pentagon, there are only 14 such victims. According to monitoring groups, over 1 thousand people died.

American planes dropped so many bombs that the US Air Force chief of staff said they were using up ammunition faster than they could replenish it.