Navy to Field New “Moving Ship Attacking” Tomahawk -Mid 2020s

By Kris Osborn

Designed to advance the weapon’s ability to address fast-emerging near-peer threats and destroy enemy ships moving at sea.

Unlike a typical Tomahawk missile which, over the years, has been used to successfully target and destroy “fixed” targets such as enemy bunkers, static troop locations, command-and-control as well as key infrastructure – the new Maritime Strike Tomahawk is specifically engineered with a next-generation ability to track and destroy moving targets at sea, Navy and Raytheon developers say.

The Maritime Strike Tomahawk hinges on new seeker technology and faster computer processing speeds to engineer several modes wherein the Tomahawk can be re-targeted in flight to destroy moving targets in the event of unforeseen contingencies.

Navy program managers have told Scout Warrior that the weapon incorporates an all-weather seeker, coupled with mid-course in-flight target updates, will provide the missile the ability to strike a moving maritime target.

“Maritime Strike Tomahawk will integrate a multi-mode seeker into Block IV Tomahawk Cruise Missile. The seeker suite will enable MST to engage moving targets,” Navy Tomahawk program manager, Capt. Mark Johnson, told Scout Warrior in a written statement.

Johnson added that the program is a new start acquisition effort which plans to field the new Tomahawk by the mid 2020s.

Naval Air Systems Command awarded Raytheon a $120-million deal to develop the weapon as part of a fast-tracked acquisition effort, a Pentagon announcement said.