MST Project: New Tomahawk RPC
The US military industry continues to develop weapons for the naval forces. Prospective designs are created both from scratch and on the basis of already existing types of weapons. So, a few days ago it was announced that the development of a promising anti-ship missile based on one of the most common types of weapons was about to begin. If such plans are successfully carried out, a product capable of attacking and destroying surface targets will reappear in the Tomahawk family of missiles.
On August 16, the US publication USNI News reported on ongoing work in the field of further development of weapons fleet. According to recent reports, the naval command and Raytheon are close to signing a contract to modernize one of the existing rocket models weapons. After signing the required documents, Raytheon will begin to design and manufacture new systems, proposed for installation on existing types of renewable missiles.
The agreement on carrying out the required work has not yet been concluded, but should appear in the very near future. The exact timing of the work has not yet been announced, but some estimates are already known. So, the head of the naval aviation Captain Mark Johnson noted that if the design contract is immediately signed, it will take several years. Then a few more years are expected to be spent on testing and verification. Only then will the command of the naval forces, confident in the new missile, be able to adopt it. The fleet will have to pay for the work, but funding will begin only after the command is convinced of the correctness of the project.
TLAM missile hit a moving target. Photo by US Navy
The goal of the new project, which received the working designation Maritime Strike Tomahawk (“Tomahawk” for sea strikes ”), is the processing of one of the existing serial missiles, according to the results of which it will be able to destroy surface targets. As a base for a promising anti-ship missile, it is proposed to use the BGM-109 Block IV Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) product designed to destroy enemy ground targets.
In the framework of the Maritime Strike Tomahawk / MST new project, a deep modernization of the onboard electronic equipment of the rocket is proposed. The base missile, designed to attack ground targets with known coordinates, is equipped with inertial and satellite navigation systems that bring it to the desired point. To hit moving surface targets, the Tomahawk anti-ship variant needs its own means of searching for targets. As a result, when developing a new project, a company-developer will have to seriously rework the existing electronics complex.
According to already known data, the promising MST rocket will have to receive improved communications, as well as modern navigation systems, which will provide accurate access to the area where the target is located. Target detection in the final flight segment is supposed to be performed using a specially designed homing head. As follows from the statements of officials, while the customer and the project performer have only a general idea of the appearance of the promising RCC, however, they have not yet determined the exact composition of the required units.
For example, the type of homing head is not yet determined. Fleet specialists and Raytheon companies are currently working on this issue and are trying to determine the most effective version of target detection instruments. At the moment, the most likely is the use of a complex homing system, which will include passive and active means of searching for targets, primarily radar ones. However, for now this is only an assumption, and real missiles can get other means of homing.
As a carrier of new equipment it is proposed to use the existing Tomahawk Block IV serial rockets. Among other things, it will allow organizing the release of anti-ship missiles as part of the repair and upgrading of existing products. In the foreseeable future, the Pentagon plans to launch a program to upgrade and extend the life of existing missiles, and the production of Maritime Strike Tomahawk products may be carried out in parallel with other activities.
According to current plans, in 2019, the industry will have to start updating existing missiles in the TLAM version. By this time, it is expected to complete part of the work on the MST project and conduct a series of tests. Serial anti-ship "Tomahawks" will go to the troops no earlier than the beginning of the next decade. This weapon will be used in conjunction with other family systems that have the highest possible degree of unification.
It should be noted that the current MST project is not something new and original in the context of the development of the Tomahawk family of rockets. In the past, anti-ship missiles Tomahawk TASM were in service. Unlike other products of the family, they were completed with an active radar homing head, which allowed them to independently find a moving surface target. Despite this equipment, the TASM-type anti-ship missiles did not differ much from the other weapons of their family.
In the late eighties, the command of the naval forces of the United States decided to abandon the anti-ship "Tomahawks", completely transferring their functions to products of the Harpoon family. Now the Tomahawk missiles were responsible only for the destruction of ground targets, while the defeat of the ships was assigned to the "Harpoons". The operation of TASM missiles ceased in the early nineties. The overwhelming majority of such products were converted by the TLAM project and transferred to the category of weapons for ground attack.
In the recent past, several countries of the world presented promising anti-ship missiles of various models. The use of new ideas and technologies has led to a marked increase in the basic tactical and technical characteristics of such weapons. First of all, the firing range increased significantly. At the same time, new foreign missiles along the radius of action bypassed American products from Harpoon, which became a direct threat to the US Navy. In search of a solution to the existing problem, it was decided to return to the previously rejected ideas and create a new version of the Tomahawk rocket, designed to attack ships.
A few years ago, the defense industry and the military of the United States began exploring the issue of creating a promising ammunition within an existing family. During these studies, theoretical studies were carried out, and in addition, various tests were organized. With the help of all these events, it was possible to determine the real prospects of the new proposal.
In January, 2015, the US Navy, together with Raytheon, tested a Tomahawk Block IV serial missile equipped with a new target designation system. The missile test launch from the USS Kidd destroyer launcher (DDG-100) ended in a successful defeat of a moving surface target. Properly organized intelligence system made it possible to track the location of the target and transmit relevant data to the missile board. Despite the complexity of this task, the training goal was hit with acceptable accuracy.
Such tests confirmed the possibility of using Tomahawk missiles as weapons for hitting moving surface targets. Flight characteristics, first of all maneuverability, proved to be sufficient for solving such problems. The successful defeat of a moving target with external target designation made it possible to proceed with the development of a full-fledged anti-ship missile, capable of independently finding targets in the specified area and then destroying them.
According to the latest data, to date, the Pentagon and the Raytheon company have worked out a number of questions in the context of the Maritime Strike Tomahawk project and have formed some requirements for such weapons. Certain questions still remain unresolved, but apparently the search for the required ideas is only a matter of time. In the very near future, a contract should appear for the execution of the necessary work, according to the results of which, at the beginning of the next decade, the naval forces will receive a new weapon.
The main objective of the new MST project is to increase the range of anti-ship missile weapons. Rockets of the Harpoon family, depending on the modification, can hit targets at distances of no more than 260-280 km. The range of flight "Tomahawks" in different versions can reach 1300-1500 km. In addition, the latter, differing in large size and weight, are capable of carrying a more powerful warhead. Thus, the MST anti-ship missile must surpass existing weapons in the most serious way in terms of its main characteristics and capabilities.
Serial anti-ship missiles of a new type - with the successful implementation of all the necessary work - will go into service after the 2020 year. Together with such weapons, the American fleet will receive new opportunities, as well as be able to increase its combat potential. Also, such rearmament will be a symmetrical response to foreign successes in the field of rocket technology. The appearance of new missiles could have a noticeable effect on the situation in a number of areas of the oceans, where in the foreseeable future the interests of the United States and other countries may collide.
At the moment, a serious problem for the United States Navy is the lag behind foreign countries in the range of anti-ship missiles in use. The newest Chinese and Russian anti-ship missiles are capable of flying up to several hundred kilometers — many times farther than the American Harpoons. As a result, US naval connections may face serious risks. In certain situations, the fight against enemy ships can only be entrusted to airplanes or submarines with appropriate weapons, which will keep the enemy at a sufficient distance. However, the absence of its own missiles to attack surface targets will lead to certain restrictions.
The appearance of an anti-ship missile with a range of more than 1000-1300 km will lead to understandable consequences. Thanks to such weapons, the US Navy will have a noticeable advantage over the leading fleets of other countries, which will make it possible to draw up new plans with less concern about the risks associated with foreign weapons. Under certain circumstances, an MST rocket can even for several years become a universal and irrefutable argument with a uniquely high potential. However, this requires that other countries in the near future do not create their weapons with similar capabilities.
An interesting feature of the new project Maritime Strike Tomahawk is the approach to creating weapons. The Pentagon does not want to develop a completely new RCC, but at the same time considers it necessary to create it on the basis of an actively operated product. Moreover, serial missiles can be produced by repairing and re-equipping already finished products stored in naval arsenals. Such an approach will allow not only to carry out the desired rearmament, but also to get some savings.
For obvious reasons, the appearance of the Tomahawk rocket of the MST version will lead to certain consequences not only in the context of the development of the US Navy. The very fact of the start of the development of such RCC is a signal to foreign creators of such weapons. The appearance of an anti-ship version of an existing high-performance missile is a serious threat, and new designs of similar weapons with corresponding capabilities should be a direct response to it. It is possible that Russian or Chinese enterprises have already begun work on such weapons, and in the foreseeable future they will be able to present their response to the American Maritime Strike Tomahawk.
In recent years, there has been noticeable progress in the field of anti-ship missile weapons in the world, but some of the main trends simply passed by American weapons. Now the Pentagon and Raytheon intend to work together to solve existing problems and give the fleet new weapons that can ensure superiority over competitors. According to existing plans, the situation in the oceans may change already at the beginning of the next decade. Time will tell what follows the emergence of the MST production rockets.
On the materials of the sites:
https://news.usni.org/
http://businessinsider.com/
http://globalsecurity.org/
http://armyrecognition.com/
http://missilethreat.csis.org/
On August 16, the US publication USNI News reported on ongoing work in the field of further development of weapons fleet. According to recent reports, the naval command and Raytheon are close to signing a contract to modernize one of the existing rocket models weapons. After signing the required documents, Raytheon will begin to design and manufacture new systems, proposed for installation on existing types of renewable missiles.
The agreement on carrying out the required work has not yet been concluded, but should appear in the very near future. The exact timing of the work has not yet been announced, but some estimates are already known. So, the head of the naval aviation Captain Mark Johnson noted that if the design contract is immediately signed, it will take several years. Then a few more years are expected to be spent on testing and verification. Only then will the command of the naval forces, confident in the new missile, be able to adopt it. The fleet will have to pay for the work, but funding will begin only after the command is convinced of the correctness of the project.
TLAM missile hit a moving target. Photo by US Navy
The goal of the new project, which received the working designation Maritime Strike Tomahawk (“Tomahawk” for sea strikes ”), is the processing of one of the existing serial missiles, according to the results of which it will be able to destroy surface targets. As a base for a promising anti-ship missile, it is proposed to use the BGM-109 Block IV Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) product designed to destroy enemy ground targets.
In the framework of the Maritime Strike Tomahawk / MST new project, a deep modernization of the onboard electronic equipment of the rocket is proposed. The base missile, designed to attack ground targets with known coordinates, is equipped with inertial and satellite navigation systems that bring it to the desired point. To hit moving surface targets, the Tomahawk anti-ship variant needs its own means of searching for targets. As a result, when developing a new project, a company-developer will have to seriously rework the existing electronics complex.
According to already known data, the promising MST rocket will have to receive improved communications, as well as modern navigation systems, which will provide accurate access to the area where the target is located. Target detection in the final flight segment is supposed to be performed using a specially designed homing head. As follows from the statements of officials, while the customer and the project performer have only a general idea of the appearance of the promising RCC, however, they have not yet determined the exact composition of the required units.
For example, the type of homing head is not yet determined. Fleet specialists and Raytheon companies are currently working on this issue and are trying to determine the most effective version of target detection instruments. At the moment, the most likely is the use of a complex homing system, which will include passive and active means of searching for targets, primarily radar ones. However, for now this is only an assumption, and real missiles can get other means of homing.
As a carrier of new equipment it is proposed to use the existing Tomahawk Block IV serial rockets. Among other things, it will allow organizing the release of anti-ship missiles as part of the repair and upgrading of existing products. In the foreseeable future, the Pentagon plans to launch a program to upgrade and extend the life of existing missiles, and the production of Maritime Strike Tomahawk products may be carried out in parallel with other activities.
According to current plans, in 2019, the industry will have to start updating existing missiles in the TLAM version. By this time, it is expected to complete part of the work on the MST project and conduct a series of tests. Serial anti-ship "Tomahawks" will go to the troops no earlier than the beginning of the next decade. This weapon will be used in conjunction with other family systems that have the highest possible degree of unification.
It should be noted that the current MST project is not something new and original in the context of the development of the Tomahawk family of rockets. In the past, anti-ship missiles Tomahawk TASM were in service. Unlike other products of the family, they were completed with an active radar homing head, which allowed them to independently find a moving surface target. Despite this equipment, the TASM-type anti-ship missiles did not differ much from the other weapons of their family.
In the late eighties, the command of the naval forces of the United States decided to abandon the anti-ship "Tomahawks", completely transferring their functions to products of the Harpoon family. Now the Tomahawk missiles were responsible only for the destruction of ground targets, while the defeat of the ships was assigned to the "Harpoons". The operation of TASM missiles ceased in the early nineties. The overwhelming majority of such products were converted by the TLAM project and transferred to the category of weapons for ground attack.
In the recent past, several countries of the world presented promising anti-ship missiles of various models. The use of new ideas and technologies has led to a marked increase in the basic tactical and technical characteristics of such weapons. First of all, the firing range increased significantly. At the same time, new foreign missiles along the radius of action bypassed American products from Harpoon, which became a direct threat to the US Navy. In search of a solution to the existing problem, it was decided to return to the previously rejected ideas and create a new version of the Tomahawk rocket, designed to attack ships.
A few years ago, the defense industry and the military of the United States began exploring the issue of creating a promising ammunition within an existing family. During these studies, theoretical studies were carried out, and in addition, various tests were organized. With the help of all these events, it was possible to determine the real prospects of the new proposal.
In January, 2015, the US Navy, together with Raytheon, tested a Tomahawk Block IV serial missile equipped with a new target designation system. The missile test launch from the USS Kidd destroyer launcher (DDG-100) ended in a successful defeat of a moving surface target. Properly organized intelligence system made it possible to track the location of the target and transmit relevant data to the missile board. Despite the complexity of this task, the training goal was hit with acceptable accuracy.
Such tests confirmed the possibility of using Tomahawk missiles as weapons for hitting moving surface targets. Flight characteristics, first of all maneuverability, proved to be sufficient for solving such problems. The successful defeat of a moving target with external target designation made it possible to proceed with the development of a full-fledged anti-ship missile, capable of independently finding targets in the specified area and then destroying them.
According to the latest data, to date, the Pentagon and the Raytheon company have worked out a number of questions in the context of the Maritime Strike Tomahawk project and have formed some requirements for such weapons. Certain questions still remain unresolved, but apparently the search for the required ideas is only a matter of time. In the very near future, a contract should appear for the execution of the necessary work, according to the results of which, at the beginning of the next decade, the naval forces will receive a new weapon.
The main objective of the new MST project is to increase the range of anti-ship missile weapons. Rockets of the Harpoon family, depending on the modification, can hit targets at distances of no more than 260-280 km. The range of flight "Tomahawks" in different versions can reach 1300-1500 km. In addition, the latter, differing in large size and weight, are capable of carrying a more powerful warhead. Thus, the MST anti-ship missile must surpass existing weapons in the most serious way in terms of its main characteristics and capabilities.
Serial anti-ship missiles of a new type - with the successful implementation of all the necessary work - will go into service after the 2020 year. Together with such weapons, the American fleet will receive new opportunities, as well as be able to increase its combat potential. Also, such rearmament will be a symmetrical response to foreign successes in the field of rocket technology. The appearance of new missiles could have a noticeable effect on the situation in a number of areas of the oceans, where in the foreseeable future the interests of the United States and other countries may collide.
At the moment, a serious problem for the United States Navy is the lag behind foreign countries in the range of anti-ship missiles in use. The newest Chinese and Russian anti-ship missiles are capable of flying up to several hundred kilometers — many times farther than the American Harpoons. As a result, US naval connections may face serious risks. In certain situations, the fight against enemy ships can only be entrusted to airplanes or submarines with appropriate weapons, which will keep the enemy at a sufficient distance. However, the absence of its own missiles to attack surface targets will lead to certain restrictions.
The appearance of an anti-ship missile with a range of more than 1000-1300 km will lead to understandable consequences. Thanks to such weapons, the US Navy will have a noticeable advantage over the leading fleets of other countries, which will make it possible to draw up new plans with less concern about the risks associated with foreign weapons. Under certain circumstances, an MST rocket can even for several years become a universal and irrefutable argument with a uniquely high potential. However, this requires that other countries in the near future do not create their weapons with similar capabilities.
An interesting feature of the new project Maritime Strike Tomahawk is the approach to creating weapons. The Pentagon does not want to develop a completely new RCC, but at the same time considers it necessary to create it on the basis of an actively operated product. Moreover, serial missiles can be produced by repairing and re-equipping already finished products stored in naval arsenals. Such an approach will allow not only to carry out the desired rearmament, but also to get some savings.
For obvious reasons, the appearance of the Tomahawk rocket of the MST version will lead to certain consequences not only in the context of the development of the US Navy. The very fact of the start of the development of such RCC is a signal to foreign creators of such weapons. The appearance of an anti-ship version of an existing high-performance missile is a serious threat, and new designs of similar weapons with corresponding capabilities should be a direct response to it. It is possible that Russian or Chinese enterprises have already begun work on such weapons, and in the foreseeable future they will be able to present their response to the American Maritime Strike Tomahawk.
In recent years, there has been noticeable progress in the field of anti-ship missile weapons in the world, but some of the main trends simply passed by American weapons. Now the Pentagon and Raytheon intend to work together to solve existing problems and give the fleet new weapons that can ensure superiority over competitors. According to existing plans, the situation in the oceans may change already at the beginning of the next decade. Time will tell what follows the emergence of the MST production rockets.
On the materials of the sites:
https://news.usni.org/
http://businessinsider.com/
http://globalsecurity.org/
http://armyrecognition.com/
http://missilethreat.csis.org/
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