How Tomahawk missiles work, which Ukraine wants to receive from partners

The New York Times, citing American officials, wrote that in the Victory Plan, Ukraine wants to receive Tomahawk missiles from partners. We tell you what these missiles are and what role they played in military operations.

Subsonic cruise missile

Tomahawk is a subsonic cruise missile that can hit protected ground targets. It is launched from ships and submarines of the US Navy, explains the website Missile Threat, which combines information from open sources and analysis of ballistic and cruise missiles. The Tomahawk entered service in 1983 and is still in use today.

The missile was designed to fly at low altitude, making it more difficult to detect on radar. It uses special guidance systems that improve maneuverability. At the same time, it can reach speeds of up to 550 mph and fly approximately 1,500 miles.

The rocket received several updated versions, the latest — Block V. It was tested in 2020, launched from the destroyer USS Chafee. This version supports the ability to update targets in flight and improved navigation. According to the U.S. Navy, one Block V costs about $2.4 million.

Although the missiles are mostly launched from ships and submarines, the U.S. Army received a Typhon installation in 2022. It allows you to launch the latest generation of missiles from the ground.

200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000

In addition to the United States, the penultimate version of the missile, Block IV, is owned by Great Britain. However, at the beginning of the year, Japan signed an agreement with the United States to purchase 200 Block IV and 200 Block V missiles. The estimated cost was $2.35 billion.

How Ukraine could use it >

“Tomahawk” is not inferior to the Russian X-101 missile, says Serhii Zgurets, director of the information and consulting company Defense Express: “This is a parity weapon to reach objects at different distances. The Tomahawk missile was the top product due to its accuracy and power, as a result of which it was copied by Russian designers”.

The rocket's targets could be industrial facilities, against which drones are not so effective. Also, the appearance of the “Tomahawk” would make it possible to hit military units, warehouses, air defense installations.

The analytical institution Jamestown Foundation cites examples of key Russian factories that supply the army. They are located at a distance of 500-1500 kilometers. This is the zone of damage of Tomahawk missiles.

How Tomahawk was used in wars

The first operational use took place in the operation “Desert Storm” in 1991. In the first two days, US ships and submarines fired 216 Tomahawks at 17 Iraqi targets.

Usually, army operations began with Tomahawk strikes. For example, this is how the “Freedom of Iraq” mission started in 2003. The missiles were used for attacks on radar facilities, warehouses, locations of terrorists.

The United States also claims that these missiles were used to strike the Syrian chemical weapons infrastructure in 2018. After the Assad regime used chemicals to attack the local population.