USN receives first Tomahawk Block V

Raytheon Missiles & Defence delivered the first Tomahawk Block V to the US Navy last week. The new variant has improved navigation and communication systems. The Navy only completed its tests with the new weapon in December 2020. The missile can be fired from submarines and ships. It can be used to engage targets up to 1800 kilometres away with high precision. Since the introduction of Block IV, the Tomahawk has maintained a constant data link to the firing ship. This means that it is still possible to change targets during the flight. It is also possible to circle for several hours in an assigned area and change course manually.

Test firing of a Tomahawk Block V from the USS Chafee in November 2020

There will be two further variants of Block V. Block Va has the ability to engage moving targets at sea. Block Vb has a warhead that can destroy multiple targets.
Series production of the new missile is scheduled to start this year. In addition to the new builds, Raytheon will modernise the currently introduced predecessors of the Block IV variant. The US Navy currently has around 4000 of this type in its inventory. Conversion and recertification represent an important mid-life upgrade. By updating their capabilities, the missiles should be able to remain in service for another 15 years.
The Tomahawk has been introduced to the US Navy and various partners. It has completed around 550 test flights to date. It can also look back on more than 2,300 successful missions. The US Navy last reported the live firing of a Tomahawk in 2018, when surface ships and submarines fired 66 of these missiles at chemical weapons production facilities in Syria.

Text: mb; Photos: Raytheon, US Navy