TOMAHAWK Block IV TLAM Test Launched from Submarine

The U.S. Navy’s Tomahawk Weapons System proved its capability once again during recent British flight tests off the coast of Florida into Eglin Air Force Base, Nov. 9 and 10. The Royal Navy, in conjunction with the U.S. Navy’s Tomahawk team, conducted tests to prove the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile’s (TLAM) capability aboard a new class of submarine, HMS Astute. The two-day event marked the Royal Navy’s ninth and 10th Tomahawk flight tests. The U.K. first fired test missiles in the mid-1990’s. “These successful tests demonstrate the capability of our new class sub and our continued interoperability between the U.S. and U.K.,“ said Cmdr. Gary Blake, U.K. fleet liaison officer for Tomahawk Weapons System program office (PMA-280). The first launch tested a Block III Tomahawk Land Attack Missile. The missile flew over the Gulf of Mexico before successfully executing a Variable Dive Maneuver (VDM) inert warhead impact against a target at Eglin Air Force Base. “The Block III missile launched last week is the oldest missile airframe to be flight tested in Tomahawk’s inventory, dating back to 1983,“ said Marsha Smith, PMA-280 Foreign Military Sales (FMS) case manager. “Not only is it the oldest but it is also the last Block III to be flown during flight test.“ On Nov. 10, the team tested a torpedo tube-launched Block IV TLAM using a U.K. Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) ground element. While on range, the missile retargeted to the JTAC coordinates and successfully executed a VDM inert warhead impact against a target at Eglin AFB. “We are very pleased with the performance of Tomahawk missiles during recent tests and during operational missions,“ said Blake. “We look forward to our continued partnership with the U.S.“ The Tomahawk relationship between the U.S. and U.K. dates back to 1995 when the governments signed an FMS agreement for the acquisition of 65 Block III missiles, marking the first sale of Tomahawk to a foreign country. The United Kingdom procured 65 Block IV Torpedo Tube Launch Tomahawks in 2006 and received first deliveries in 2008.