AGM-109 Tomahawk

AGM-109 Tomahawk was a medium-range, air-launched cruise missile developed for the United States Air Force in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Derived from the BGM-109 Tomahawk sea-launched weapon, it was designed to provide strategic bombers with a long-range, precision standoff attack capability against heavily defended high-value targets. The program was ultimately canceled after limited production, with its technology and mission largely subsumed by other systems like the AGM-86 ALCM.

Development and design

The AGM-109 program originated from the broader Joint Cruise Missiles Project established by the United States Department of Defense to develop a common family of cruise missiles. While the United States Navy pursued the BGM-109 Tomahawk, the United States Air Force initially focused on the AGM-86 ALCM but also explored an air-launched variant of the Tomahawk to ensure competitive procurement and technological redundancy. General Dynamics, the prime contractor for the naval Tomahawk, adapted the design for air launch from the B-52 Stratofortress. The missile utilized a Williams International F107 turbofan engine, a WDU-18/B penetrating warhead, and a guidance system combining an inertial navigation system with TERCOM for highly accurate navigation over long distances. Its development occurred amidst the strategic arms competition of the Cold War, detailed in frameworks like SALT II, and was influenced by the concurrent development of the Ground Launched Cruise Missile in Europe.

Operational history

The operational service of the AGM-109 was extremely limited and brief. Following testing, a small number of missiles were deployed with the United States Air Force starting in 1983, primarily for evaluation and training purposes. The missile was never used in combat. Its deployment was contemporaneous with major USAF strategic initiatives like the Strategic Air Command's transition to new standoff weapons. By the mid-1980s, the AGM-86 ALCM, produced by Boeing, had become the standard air-launched cruise missile for the B-52 Stratofortress fleet, having entered service earlier and being more fully integrated into the USAF's strategic plans. The existence of two similar missiles was seen as duplicative, leading to the official cancellation of the AGM-109 program in 1986, with remaining missiles retired by 1990.

Variants

Several variants of the AGM-109 were proposed or developed, mirroring the multi-role concepts of the naval Tomahawk. The primary model was the **AGM-109H** (also referenced as AGM-109C in some documents), a medium-range land-attack missile armed with a unitary warhead. A dedicated anti-ship version, the **AGM-109L**, was also designed, intended to be equipped with a seeker for engaging naval targets like those belonging to the Soviet Navy. Another proposed variant was the **AGM-109M**, which would have carried submunitions for attacking airfields and area targets. These variants were part of a family that included the BGM-109G Gryphon ground-launched system deployed to Europe under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.

Specifications (AGM-109C)

* **Length:** Approximately 5.56 m (18 ft 3 in) * **Wingspan:** 2.67 m (8 ft 9 in) * **Diameter:** 0.52 m (20.4 in) * **Launch Weight:** Approximately 1,200 kg (2,650 lb) * **Speed:** Subsonic, approximately 880 km/h (550 mph) * **Range:** Approximately 460 km (250 nautical miles) * **Engine:** Williams International F107-WR-400 turbofan * **Warhead:** WDU-18/B 450 kg (1,000 lb) penetrating high-explosive * **Guidance:** Inertial navigation system with TERCOM updates * **Launch Platform:** B-52 Stratofortress

Operators

The sole operator of the AGM-109 Tomahawk was the United States Air Force. The missile was fielded in very limited numbers, primarily with units tasked with operational test and evaluation, such as those within the Strategic Air Command. No missiles were exported to other countries or services, and the system was entirely retired from the USAF inventory by the early 1990s, following the program's cancellation and the end of the Cold War.

Category:Cruise missiles of the United States Category:Cold War missiles of the United States Category:General Dynamics missiles Category:Canceled military projects of the United States