In a significant production milestone, Raytheon [RTN] delivered the 2,000th Tomahawk Block IV cruise missile to the U.S. Navy.
“Tomahawk Block IV provides the Navy with a combat-proven weapon that plays a critical role in hybrid warfare operations,” Capt. Dave Davison, the Navy’s program manager for the Tomahawk weapon system, said in a statement. “The Navy’s receipt of the 2,000th Tomahawk Block IV provides the commander with a powerful tactical weapon to shape the battlespace and prosecute time-critical targets.”
Tomahawk Block IV’s technologies provide a tactical capability while reducing acquisition, operation and support costs. Tomahawk Block IV employs a two-way satellite datalink that enables a strike controller to flex the missile in flight to preprogrammed alternate targets or redirect it to a new target. This targeting flexibility includes the capability to loiter over the battlefield and await a more critical target.
“The Tomahawk program continues to provide the U.S. Navy with the capability to project precision firepower across the breadth and depth of the battlespace while delivering unprecedented flexibility to the commander,” Harry Schulte, vice president of Raytheon’s Air Warfare Systems product line, said. “With the dedication of our employees and suppliers, the Tomahawk program has set the standard in cruise missile capability.”