Tomahawk missile

Raytheon has awarded a follow-on subcontract to Ducommun to continue support for the US Navy’s Tomahawk cruise missile programme in a deal worth $15m.

Raytheon be contracted to develop and deliver a range of interconnect and electronic assemblies in support of the cruise missile for the navy.

Earlier in 2012, the US Navy awarded a firm-fixed-price contract to Raytheon to supply 361 Tomahawk Block IV all-up-round missiles.

Raytheon is scheduled to provide 238 vertical launch system (VLS) missiles and 123 capsule launch system (CLS) missiles for the US Navy as a part of the contract.

Ducommun chairman, president and chief executive officer Anthony Reardon said the company would continue supporting one of the navy’s Tomahawk Block IV weapon through Raytheon.

Designed to be launched from surface ships equipped with VLS and from submarines equipped with CLS, the Tomahawk Block IV missile can also be deployed with the torpedo tube launch system.

"The subsonic cruise Tomahawk missile supports precision strike missions against high-value and heavily defended target.”

The all-weather, long-range, subsonic cruise Tomahawk missile supports precision strike missions against high-value and heavily defended targets.

Combat-proven in hybrid warfare operations, the missile features a two-way satellite datalink to enable strike controller to flex the missile to pre-programmed alternate targets or redirect it to a new target.

The Tomahawk missile capability is programmed on all US Navy ship classes, including cruisers, destroyers, and all attack and guided missiles class submarines.

The system is also deployed onboard the UK Royal Navy’s Astute and Trafalgar-class submarines to provide similar firepower capabilities.

Work under the latest contract is scheduled to run through 2015.


Image: A Raytheon-built Tomahawk Block IV cruise missile put on display. Photo: US Navy photo by photographers mate, 2nd class Daniel J McLain.