By Geoff Fein
Raytheon [RTN] is developing an upgrade to the Tomahawk cruise missile to make it capable of targeting maritime moving targets, a company official said.
Using its own internal research and development funds, Raytheon has been looking to add a new seeker to the nose of the Tomahawk, Everett Tackett, business development manager for Tomahawk, told Defense Daily in a recent interview.
“We have several candidates out there, but the most promising is AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array),” he said.
Raytheon builds AESA. Tackett added that although AESA is the most promising candidate, that could change down the road.
In addition to integrating AESA, Raytheon will also add a receiver that processes electronic emissions for target discrimination.
“Surface ships out there use radios, they have radars on, all that gives them a unique distinct signature,” Tackett said. “So we put a receiver inside the Tomahawk that picks that up to make sure for target discrimination we are going after the right target.”
Raytheon is also looking to enhance the net centric capabilities of the cruise missile, he added.
Tomahawk currently has a two-way data link that enables ground observers to retarget the missile while in flight.
“We want to enhance that data link. We want to send a lot more data to the missile a lot faster and we want to get more frequent updates from the missile as it is headed out there across open water to engage targets,” Tackett said. “We have a moving target out there…a surface ship.. We want to [send] updates to Tomahawk as quickly as we can.”
Another effort includes adding a new multi-effects warhead, Tackett said.
“The Tomahawk Block IV carries a 1,000-pound class warhead that delivers excellent blast fragmentation effect,” he added. “We want a multi-effects warhead that also includes penetration of that warhead making the Tomahawk a true ship killer.”
The new warhead would also expand Tomahawk’s land attack capability as well, Tackett noted.
“Once we integrate all these capabilities into the Tomahawk, it will still maintain all of its land attack capabilities and have the ability to conduct anti-surface warfare missions,” he said. “It would become a true multi-mission missile.”
The company has shown its concept to the Navy and, according to Tackett, the service is very interested in the upgrade. “[They have] identified it as a priority for development,” he said, “but they have not funded it.”
Right now this upgrade plan is a technology roadmap, Tackett said.
Two years ago, the company completed a Tomahawk anti-surface warfare study, he added. Raytheon worked with Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab and identified several items Tomahawk would need.
“And we identified a few things independently of that to come to this road map,” Tackett said.
None of the new systems would cause the missile to outwardly change, he added.
“The AESA in the nose requires no change to the outward appearance of the nose. The multi-effects warhead would replace the current warhead. There is a lot of room in that missile; it’s a big missile,” Tackett said. “We could move [the receiver] around inside the missile. The current plan we have…[there is] a space up in the nose where it can fit, but there is also a space we identified toward the rear where it could fit.”
The concern with adding more to the nose of Tomahawk is that it could interfere with the full effects of the shaped charge, Tackett said. “Having too much up there could hinder that, so we are very careful with what we put up in the nose.”
According to Tackett, if the Navy were to fund a System Development and Demonstration (SDD) effort down the road, it would take three years from the SDD phase to get an upgraded Tomahawk into the hands of the warfighter.
“We know Tomahawk is in the Navy’s plan for procurement up to 2017,” he said. “Tomahawk right now has a 15-year recertification. As they come back, we could insert these technologies to make them multi mission Tomahawks.”