Raytheon has completed a successful captive flight test of a seeker nose cone for the Tomahawk Block IV cruise missile. The seeker will enable Tomahawks to engage moving targets on land and at sea.
Using company-funded, independent research and development, the testing trialed a modified Tomahawk missile nose cone mounted on a T-39 test aircraft and equipped with a seeker integrated with Raytheon’s new, modular, multi-mode processor.
Over three weeks, the aircraft flew mission profiles simulating a Tomahawk flight regime, aiming at moving targets on land and in the maritime environment.
Since 2005, Raytheon Missile Systems has invested in seeker technology development for the Tomahawk to detect, discriminate and engage moving maritime and land-based targets, in all weather at significant tactical stand-off range.
With a range of approximately 1,000 statute miles, the Tomahawk Block IV missile is a surface and submarine launched, precision strike, stand-off weapon against high-value and heavily defended targets. More than 2,000 Tomahawks have been used in combat.
The missile is integrated on all major US surface combatants, as well as US and UK sub-surface platforms, including the Los Angeles, Virginia, Ohio, Astute and Trafalgar class submarines.
January 14, 2016
