Can a Tomahawk missile sink a ship?

Can a Tomahawk missile sink a ship?

The U.S. surface fleet has long led in its ability to provide air defenses over wide areas and launch devastating strikes against targets on land with the existing Tomahawk missile variants, but lags against potential adversaries in being able to sink other ships at long ranges.

What is the difference between cruise missile and ballistic missile?

According to the Federation of American Scientists, a ballistic missile is one that has a ballistic trajectory over most of its flight path. Cruise missiles are self-propelled for the majority of their time in the air, flying in a relatively straight line and at lower altitudes thanks to a rocket propellant.

Can Tomahawk target ships?

WASHINGTON — Raytheon plans to deliver next week the first of the U.S. Navy’s new Block V Tomahawk, an upgraded version of the service’s venerable land-attack missile that will ultimately include the ability to target ships at sea at extended ranges.

When were missiles put on ships?

Missile boats were invented and first manufactured by the Soviet Union in the 1950s, beginning with “Project 183R” which developed into the Komar-class missile boat, mounting two P-15 Termit (Styx) anti-ship missiles in box launchers and a twin 25mm autocannon on a 25-metre (82 ft) wooden hull displacing 66.5 tonnes ( …

Is cruise missile better than ballistic missile?

An ICBM can strike a target within a 10,000 km range in about 30 to 35 minutes. With terminal speeds of over 5,000 m/s, ballistic missiles are much harder to intercept than cruise missiles, due to the much shorter time available.

What is the range of a Tomahawk missile?

A typical cruise missile with UAV-like characteristics has an RCS in the range of 1 m2; the Tomahawk ALCM, designed in the 1970s and utilizing the fairly simple low-observable technologies then available, has an RCS of less than 0.05 m2.

How effective is air vehicle defense against cruise missiles?

The effectiveness of defense against cruise missiles is highly dependent on the radar cross section of an air vehicle versus frequency. Figure 2 presents a no- tional representation of the variation in radar cross section of an air vehicle versus frequency.

What is the range of a stealthy cruise missile?

The US airborne warning and control system (AWACS) radar system was designed to detect aircraft with an RCS of 7 m2 at a range of at least 370 km and typical nonstealthy cruise missiles at a range of at least 227 km; stealthy cruise missiles, however, could approach air defenses to within 108 km before being detected.

What are the different types of cruise missiles?

Cruise missiles can be categorized by size, speed (subsonic or supersonic), and range, and whether launched from land, air, surface ship, or submarine. Often versions of the same missile are produced for different launch platforms; sometimes air- and submarine-launched versions are a little lighter and smaller than land- and ship-launched versions.