Deck bombers were not the only carriers of nuclear weapons in the US Navy. In the early post-war years, based on the experience of the combat use of German aircraft-shells (cruise missiles) Fi-103 (V-1), American military theorists believed that unmanned "flying bombs" could become an effective weapon. In the case of use against large area targets, the low accuracy had to be compensated for by the high power of the nuclear charge. Nuclear-powered cruise missiles deployed at bases around the USSR were seen as an addition to manned atomic bomb carriers. The first American cruise missile deployed in Germany in 1954 was the MGM-1 Matador with a launch range of about 1000 km, equipped with a W5 nuclear warhead with a capacity of 55 kt.
American admirals also became interested in cruise missiles, which could be used both on surface ships and on submarines. In order to save money, the US Navy was asked to use for its own purposes the almost ready-made "Matador", created for the Air Force. However, naval experts were able to substantiate the need to design a special missile that would meet specific maritime requirements. The main argument of the admirals in a dispute with government officials was the lengthy preparation of the "Matador" for launch. So, during the prelaunch preparation for MGM-1, it was necessary to dock the starting solid-propellant boosters, in addition, to aim the Matador at the target, a network of radio beacons or at least two ground stations equipped with radars and command transmitters was required.
I must say that in the post-war period, the development of cruise missiles did not begin from scratch. Back in late 1943, the US military signed a contract with the Chance Vought Aircraft Company to develop a projectile jet with a launch range of 480 km. However, due to the lack of suitable jet engines, the complexity of creating a guidance system and the overload of military orders, the work on the cruise missile was frozen. However, after the creation of the MGM-1 Matador began in the interests of the Air Force in 1947, the admirals caught on and formulated requirements for a cruise missile suitable for deployment on submarines and large surface ships. The rocket with a launch weight of no more than 7 tons was supposed to carry a warhead weighing 1400 kg, the maximum firing range was at least 900 km, the flight speed was up to 1 M, the circular probable deviation was no more than 0.5% of the flight range. Thus, when launched at the maximum range, the rocket should fall into a circle with a diameter of 5 km. This accuracy made it possible to hit large area targets - mainly large cities.
The aircraft company Chance Vought was developing the SSM-N-8A Regulus cruise missile for the Navy, in parallel with work carried out by Martin Aircraft on the ground-based MGM-1 Matador cruise missile. The missiles had a similar appearance and the same turbojet engine. Their characteristics also did not differ much. But unlike the "Matador", the naval "Regulus" prepared faster for launch and could be guided to the target using one station. In addition, the company "Vout" has created a reusable test rocket, which significantly reduced the cost of the test process. The first test launch took place in March 1951.
The first ships armed with Regulus cruise missiles were the Balao-class Tunny (SSG-282) and Barbero (SSG-317) diesel-electric submarines, built during World War II and modernized in the post-war period.
A hangar for two cruise missiles was installed behind the submarine's cabin. For launch, the rocket was transferred to a launcher in the stern of the boat, after which the wing was folded out and the turbojet engine was launched. The missiles were launched on the surface of the boat, which significantly reduced the chances of survival and the fulfillment of a combat mission. Despite this, the "Tunny" and "Barbero" became the first submarines of the US Navy, went on alert with missiles equipped with nuclear warheads. Since the first missile submarines converted from torpedo boats with a displacement of 2460 tons had a modest autonomy, and a bulky hangar with missiles worsened the already not very high driving performance, in 1958 they were joined by special-purpose boats: USS Grayback (SSG-574) and USS Growler (SSG-577). In January 1960, the USS Halibut (SSGN-587) nuclear submarine with five missiles on board entered the fleet.
Between October 1959 and July 1964, these five boats went on combat patrols in the Pacific 40 times. The main targets for cruise missiles were Soviet naval bases in Kamchatka and Primorye. In the second half of 1964, boats armed with Regulus were withdrawn from combat duty and replaced by George Washington SSBNs, with 16 UGM-27 Polaris SLBMs.
In addition to submarines, the carriers of the SSM-N-8A Regulus were four Baltimore-class heavy cruisers, as well as 10 aircraft carriers. Cruisers and some aircraft carriers also went on combat patrols with cruise missiles on board.
Serial production of cruise missiles "Regulus" was stopped in January 1959. A total of 514 copies were built. Although the first test launch from a submarine took place in 1953, and the official acceptance into service in 1955, the missile was removed from service in 1964. This was due to the fact that nuclear submarines with the ballistic "Polaris A1", capable of shooting in a submerged position, had many times greater striking power. In addition, by the beginning of the 60s, the cruise missiles at the disposal of the fleet were hopelessly outdated. Their speed and flight altitude did not guarantee a breakthrough of the Soviet air defense system, and their low accuracy prevented their use for tactical purposes. Subsequently, some of the cruise missiles were converted into radio-controlled targets.
With a launch weight of 6207 kg, the rocket had a length of 9.8 m and a diameter of 1.4 m. The wingspan was 6.4 m. The Allison J33-A-18 turbojet engine with a thrust of 20 kN provided a cruising flight speed of 960 km / h. For launch, two detachable solid-propellant boosters with a total thrust of 150 kN were used. The onboard supply of aviation kerosene of 1140 liters ensured the maximum launch range of 930 km. The missile originally carried a 55 kt W5 nuclear warhead. Since 1959, a 2 Mt W27 thermonuclear warhead has been installed on the Regulus.
The main disadvantages of the SSM-N-8A Regulus rocket were: a relatively small firing range, subsonic flight speed at high altitude, radio command control, which required constant tracking via radio from the carrier ship. To successfully complete the combat mission, the carrier ship had to come close enough to the shore and control the flight of the cruise missile until the very moment when it hits the target, remaining vulnerable to enemy countermeasures. Significant KVO prevented effective use against highly protected point targets.
In order to eliminate all these shortcomings, the Chance Vought company by 1956 created a new model of a cruise missile: SSM-N-9 Regulus II, which was supposed to replace the earlier Regulus. The first launch of the prototype took place on May 29, 1956 at Edwards Air Force Base. A total of 48 test launches of the SSM-N-9 Regulus II were carried out, including 30 successful and 14 partially successful.
Compared to the earlier model, the aerodynamics of the rocket were significantly improved, which, together with the use of the General Electric J79-GE-3 engine with 69 kN thrust, made it possible to significantly increase flight performance. The maximum flight speed reached 2400 km / h. At the same time, the rocket could fly at an altitude of 18,000 m. The launch range was 1,850 km. Thus, the maximum flight speed and range were more than doubled. But the starting weight of the SSM-N-9 Regulus II rocket has almost doubled compared to the SSM-N-8A Regulus.
Thanks to the inertial control system, "Regulus II" was not dependent on the carrier vehicle after launch. During the tests, it was proposed to equip the missile with a promising TERCOM guidance system, which worked on the basis of a preloaded radar map of the area. In this case, the deviation from the aiming point should not exceed several hundred meters, which, in combination with a megaton-class thermonuclear warhead, ensured the defeat of point fortified targets, including ballistic missile silos.
Based on the results of tests in January 1958, the navy issued an order for the mass production of missiles. It was envisaged that ships already equipped with cruise missiles would be re-equipped with Regulus II missiles, and the mass construction of submarines carrying cruise missiles would begin. According to the initial plans, the command of the fleet was going to arm twenty-five diesel-electric and nuclear submarines and four heavy cruisers with SSM-N-9 Regulus II cruise missiles. However, despite the dramatically increased flight and combat characteristics, in November 1958, the missile production program was curtailed. The fleet abandoned the updated Regulus in connection with the successful implementation of the Polaris program. Long-range ballistic missiles, invulnerable to the air defense systems existing at that time and launched from a submerged submarine, looked much more preferable than cruise missiles launched from the surface. In addition, the KR ammunition even on the Khalibat nuclear-powered ship was three times less than the number of SLBMs on the George Washington-class SSBNs. Theoretically, the Regulus II supersonic cruise missiles could enhance the armament of heavy cruisers built during the Second World War, and thus extend the life of these ships. But this was hampered by the high cost of the missiles. The American admirals considered that the price of more than $ 1 million per cruise missile was excessive. At the time of the decision to abandon the Regulus II, 20 missiles had been built, and another 27 were in the process of being assembled. As a result, these missiles were converted into supersonic unmanned targets MQM-15A and GQM-15A, which were used by the American military during the control training launches of the CIM-10 Bomarc long-range unmanned interceptor complex.
After the rejection of the "Regulus" American admirals for a long time lost interest in cruise missiles. As a result, by the beginning of the 70s, a significant gap appeared in the armament of American surface ships and submarines. The strategic tasks of nuclear deterrence were carried out by very expensive nuclear submarines with ballistic missiles, and the strikes with tactical atomic bombs were assigned to carrier-based aircraft. Of course, surface ships and submarines had nuclear depth charges and torpedoes, but these weapons were useless against land targets deep in enemy territory. Thus, a significant part of the large American navy, potentially capable of solving strategic and tactical nuclear tasks, was “out of the game”.
According to American experts, made in the late 60s, the progress made in the field of miniaturization of nuclear charges, solid-state electronics and compact turbojet engines, in the future, made it possible to create long-range cruise missiles suitable for launching from standard 533-mm torpedo tubes. In 1971, the US Navy command initiated work to study the possibility of creating a strategic underwater launch cruise missile, and in June 1972, the go-ahead was given to practical work on the SLCM (Submarine-Launched Cruise Missile) cruise missile. After studying the design documentation, General Dynamics and Chance Vought with prototypes of ZBGM-109A and ZBGM-110A cruise missiles were allowed to participate in the competition. Testing of both prototypes began in the first half of 1976. Given that the sample proposed by General Dynamics showed better results and had a more refined design, the ZBGM-109A CD was declared the winner in March 1976, which was named Tomahawk in the Navy. At the same time, the admirals decided that the Tomahawk should be part of the armament of surface ships, so the designation was changed to Sea-Launched Cruise Missile - a sea-launched cruise missile. Thus, the acronym SLCM began to reflect the more versatile nature of the deployment of a promising cruise missile.
For accurate guidance of the BGM-109A CD to a stationary target with previously known coordinates, it was decided to use the TERCOM (Terrain Contour Matching) radar relief correction system, the equipment of which was originally created for navigation and the ability to fly manned combat aircraft at extremely low altitudes. in automatic mode.
The principle of operation of the TERCOM system is that electronic maps of the terrain are compiled based on photographs and results of radar scanning performed using reconnaissance spacecraft and reconnaissance aircraft equipped with side-looking radar. Subsequently, these maps can be used to draw up a cruise missile flight route. Information about the chosen route is uploaded to the data storage device of the onboard computer on board the cruise missile. After launch, at the first stage, the missile is controlled by an inertial navigation system. The inertial platform provides location determination with an accuracy of 0.8 km per 1 hour of flight. In the correction areas, the data available in the on-board storage device are compared with the real terrain relief, and on the basis of this, the flight course is adjusted. The main components of the AN / DPW-23 TERCOM equipment are: a radar altimeter operating at a frequency of 4-8 GHz with a viewing angle of 12-15 °, a set of reference maps of areas along the flight route and an onboard computer. The permissible error in measuring the height of the terrain with reliable operation of the TERCOM system should be 1 m.
According to information published in the American media, the ideal option in the case of the use of Tomahawk cruise missiles against ground targets is that the missiles are launched at a distance of no more than 700 km from the coastline, and the area of the first correction has a width of 45-50 km. The width of the second correction area should be reduced to 9 km, and near the target - to 2 km. To remove restrictions on correction areas, it was envisaged that cruise missiles would receive receivers of the NAVSTAR satellite navigation system.
The control system provides the cruise missile with the ability to fly at low altitudes, following the terrain. This makes it possible to increase the secrecy of the flight and significantly complicates the detection of CD by radar airspace monitoring devices. The choice in favor of the rather expensive TERCOM system, which also requires the use of reconnaissance satellites and radar reconnaissance aircraft, was made based on the experience gained during major regional armed conflicts in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. In the second half of the 60s and early 70s, Soviet-made air defense systems clearly demonstrated that a high altitude and flight speed of combat aircraft are no longer a guarantee of invulnerability. Having suffered significant losses, American and Israeli combat aircraft were forced to fly at extremely low altitudes in the zones of air defense systems - hiding in the folds of the terrain, below the operating heights of surveillance radars and anti-aircraft missile guidance stations.
Thus, due to the ability to fly at extremely low altitudes, rather compact cruise missiles with a relatively small RCS, in the case of mass use, had a good chance of oversaturation of the Soviet air defense system. Long-range missile carriers could be multipurpose nuclear submarines, numerous cruisers and destroyers. If cruise missiles were equipped with thermonuclear charges, they could be used for a disarming strike on headquarters, missile silos, naval bases and air defense command posts. According to information published in open sources, American experts involved in nuclear planning, taking into account the ratio of hitting accuracy and warhead power, assessed the probability of hitting a "hard" target that could withstand an overpressure of 70 kg / cm²: AGM-109A KR - 0.85, and SLBM UGM-73 Poseidon C-3 - 0, 1. At the same time, the Poseidon ballistic missile had approximately twice the launch range and was practically invulnerable to air defense systems. A significant drawback of the "Tomahawk" was the subsonic flight speed of the rocket, but this had to be reconciled, since the transition to supersonic reduced the flight range and dramatically increased the cost of the product itself.
At some stage, the "Tomahawk" within the framework of the JCMP (Joint Cruise Missile Project) program was also considered as an air-launched cruise missile - for arming strategic bombers. The result of the design program for the "single" cruise missile was that the same engine and TERCOM guidance system were used on the AGM-86 ALCM aviation cruise missile, created by the Boeing Corporation, and the BGM-109A "sea" cruise missile.
The first launch of the Tomahawk from the ship took place in March 1980, the rocket was launched from the destroyer USS Merrill (DD-976). In June of the same year, a cruise missile was launched from the nuclear submarine USS Guitarro (SSN-665). Until 1983, more than 100 launches were carried out within the framework of flight and control and operational tests. In March 1983, representatives of the US Navy signed an act of reaching operational readiness for the missile and recommended that the Tomahawk be put into service. The first serial modification of the "Tomahawk" was the BGM-109A TLAM-N (English Tomahawk Land-Attack Missile - Nuclear - "Tomahawk" against ground targets - nuclear). This model, also known as the Tomahawk Block I, was equipped with a W80 thermonuclear warhead with a stepwise adjustment of the explosion power in the range from 5 to 150 kt.
The thermonuclear warhead W80 Model 0, mounted on the KR, weighed 130 kg, with a length of 80 cm and a diameter of 30 cm. In contrast to the W80 Model 1 warhead, designed for installation on an air-based KR AGM-86 ALCM, a model designed for the Navy, had less radioactivity. This was due to the fact that on the submarine, the crew had more and longer contact with cruise missiles than the personnel of the Air Force.
Initially, cruise missile modifications designed to be launched from surface ships and submarines were distinguished by a numerical suffix. So, the BGM-109A-1 / 109B-1 markings had surface-launched missiles, and BGM-109A-2 / 109B-2 - underwater ones. However, this caused confusion in the documents and in 1986, instead of a numerical suffix to designate the launch environment, the letters "R" for missiles launched from surface ships and "U" for those launched from submarines were used as the first letter of the index.
The first production version of the BGM-109A Tomahawk rocket with a thermonuclear warhead had a length of 5.56 m (6.25 with a launch booster), a diameter of 531 mm and a launch weight of 1180 kg (1450 kg with a launch booster). The folding wing, after switching to the operating position, reached a span of 2.62 m. The economical small-sized Williams International F107-WR-402 bypass turbojet engine with a nominal thrust of 3.1 kN ensured a cruising flight speed of 880 km / h. For acceleration and climb during the launch, the Atlantic Research MK 106 solid-fuel booster was used, providing 37 kN thrust for 6-7 seconds. The length of the solid propellant booster is 0.8 m, and its weight is 297 kg. The stock of kerosene on board the missile is enough to hit the target at a distance of up to 2500 km. When creating the Tomahawk, the specialists of the General Daynamics company managed to achieve a high weight perfection, which, in combination with a very light Williams F107 engine, with a dry weight of 66.2 kg and a very compact and lightweight thermonuclear warhead for its power, made it possible to achieve a record range flight.
When deployed on surface ships, the Tomahawks were originally used armored inclined launchers Mk143. Recently, cruise missiles on destroyers and cruisers have been deployed in the Mk41 universal vertical launchers.
For oblique or vertical launch of the rocket, a solid-propellant jet booster is used. Immediately after the start, the folding wing is moved to the working position. Approximately 7 seconds after the start, the jet booster separates and the main engine starts. In the process of launch, the rocket gains an altitude of 300-400 m, after which, on the descending branch of the launch section, about 4 km long and about 60 s duration, it switches to a given flight trajectory and decreases to 15-60 m.
When loaded onto a submarine, the Tomahawk is in a steel sealed capsule filled with an inert gas, which allows the missile to be kept in combat readiness for 30 months. The missile capsule is loaded into a 533-mm torpedo tube or into the Mk45 universal launcher, like a conventional torpedo. The launch is carried out from a depth of 30-60 m. The capsule is ejected from the torpedo tube using a hydraulic pusher, and from the UVP - by a gas generator. After 5 seconds of passing the underwater section, the starting engine is started, and the rocket comes out from under the water to the surface at an angle of 50 °.
After the naval Tomahawk was adopted, these missiles were deployed on multipurpose nuclear submarines, cruisers, destroyers and even on Iowa-class battleships.
The approximate number of BGM-109A Tomahawk cruise missiles delivered to the US Navy can be judged by the number of assembled thermonuclear parts used only on this type of missile. In total, about 350 W80 Model 0 warheads were manufactured to equip BGM-109A Tomahawk nuclear cruise missiles. The last nuclear-powered Axes were disposed of in 2010, but they were withdrawn from combat duty in the 90s.
In addition to "Tomahawks" with thermonuclear warheads designed to destroy stationary targets, American warships were equipped with cruise missiles with conventional warheads, which could also solve strategic tasks. The first non-nuclear modification was the BGM-109C, later renamed RGM / UGM-109C TLAM-C (Tomahawk Land-Attack Missile - Conventional - Tomahawk missile with a conventional warhead for attacking ground targets). This missile carries a robust WDU-25 / B high-explosive warhead weighing 450 kg. Due to the multiple increase in the weight of the warhead, the launch range decreased to 1250 km.
Since the AN / DPW-23 TERCOM radar equipment ensured hitting accuracy no higher than 80 meters, this was not enough for a rocket with a conventional warhead. In this regard, the BGM-109C rocket was equipped with the AN / DXQ-1 DSMAC (Digital Scene Matching Area Correlation) optical-electronic target recognition system. The system allows the missile to recognize ground objects by comparing their image with the "portrait" in the memory of the on-board computer and to aim at the target with an accuracy of up to 10 meters.
1.section of the flight path after the start
2.the area of the first correction using TERCOM equipment
3.section with TERCOM correction and use of the NAVSTAR satellite system
4.the final segment of the trajectory with correction according to the DSMAC equipment
The guidance system, similar to that installed on the BGM-109C, has a modification of the BGM-109D. This missile carries a cluster warhead with 166 BLU-97 / B submunitions and is designed to destroy area targets: enemy troop concentrations, airfields, railway stations, etc. Due to the large mass of the cluster warhead, this modification of the "Tomahawk" had a launch range of no more than 870 km.
Also in service with the US Navy was the anti-ship modification RGM / UGM-109B TASM (English Tomahawk Anti-Ship Missile) with a guidance system similar to the RGM-84A Harpoon anti-ship missile. The missile was intended to destroy surface targets at a distance of up to 450 km and carried an armor-piercing high-explosive warhead weighing 450 kg. However, in practice, it seemed unrealistic to realize such a launch range. Due to the relatively low speed of the anti-ship Tomahawk, the flight time to the maximum range took about half an hour. During this time, the target could easily leave the area where the firing was being carried out. To increase the likelihood of capture by the radar homing head, when switching to the target search mode, the rocket had to move in a "snake", if this did not help, then the "eight" maneuver was performed. This, of course, partly helped to find the target, but it also increased the risk of an unintentional attack by neutral or friendly ships. In addition to conventional warheads, at the design stage it was envisaged that part of the anti-ship missile system to engage group targets would be equipped with a nuclear warhead. But in view of the too great risk of an unauthorized nuclear strike, this was abandoned.
For the first time in combat conditions, Tomahawk cruise missiles equipped with conventional warheads were used in 1991 during the anti-Iraqi campaign. Based on the conclusions drawn from the results of combat use, the leadership of the American armed forces came to the conclusion that cruise missiles are capable of solving a wider range of tasks than was originally envisaged. Advances in composite materials, propulsion and electronics have made it possible to create a universal sea-based cruise missile, suitable for solving a wide range of tactical missions, including in the immediate vicinity of its troops.
During the implementation of the Tactical Tomahawk program, measures were taken to reduce the radar signature and the cost of the missile in comparison with previous samples. This was achieved through the use of lightweight composite materials and the relatively inexpensive Williams F415-WR-400/402 engine. The presence on board the rocket of a satellite communication system with a broadband data transmission channel makes it possible to re-target the rocket in flight to other targets previously entered into the memory of the on-board computer. When the missile approaches the object of the attack, the state of the object is assessed using a high-resolution television camera installed on board, which makes it possible to make a decision on whether to continue the attack or redirect the missile to another target.
Due to the use of composite materials, the rocket has become more delicate and is not suitable for launching from torpedo tubes. However, submarines equipped with Mk41 vertical launchers can still use the Tactical Tomahawk. Currently, this modification of the "Tomahawk" is the main one in the US Navy. Since 2004, more than 3,000 RGM / UGM-109E Tactical Tomahawk CRs have been delivered to the customer. At the same time, the cost of one rocket is about $ 1.8 million.
According to information published in the American media in 2016, the command of the US Navy expressed interest in acquiring new cruise missiles equipped with nuclear warheads. Raytheon, which is currently the manufacturer of the Tactical Tomahawk, proposed to create a variant with a warhead similar in its capabilities to the B61-11 thermonuclear bomb. The new rocket had to use all the achievements implemented in the RGM / UGM-109E Tactical Tomahawk modification, and the penetrating thermonuclear warhead of variable power. This rocket, when attacking highly protected targets hidden under the ground, was supposed to dive after completing the slide and sink several meters into the ground. With an energy release of more than 300 kt, a powerful seismic wave is formed in the soil, guaranteeing the destruction of reinforced concrete floors within a radius of more than 500 m. In case of use against targets on the surface, a nuclear explosion occurs at an altitude of about 300 m. To reduce incidental damage, the minimum explosion power can be set to 0, 3 kt.
However, having analyzed all the options, the American admirals decided to refrain from creating a new nuclear missile based on the Tomahawk. Apparently, the fleet management was not satisfied with the subsonic flight speed. In addition, the modernization potential of the rocket, the design of which began more than 45 years ago, was practically exhausted ago.
