How powerful is the American Tomahawk missile? What are the performances in actual combat?

Tomahawk cruise missiles, which first served in the 1980s, currently occupy an important position in the missile system of the US military. The Tomahawk missile has a cruising speed of Mach 0.72, a length of 5.56 meters, and a total weight of 1.4 tons. The version with booster is 6.25 meters, with a total weight of 1.6 tons, and can carry 454 kilograms of warheads 1 100? 2500 kilometers. Because of its long range and light weight, Tomahawk missile adopts modular design, which can accommodate a variety of warheads, guidance and range capabilities, can be equipped with various types of ships, and can be launched from surface ships, submarines, air and land. Therefore, it is widely used, which is the most commonly used strike method of the US military.

It can be said that the American Tomahawk missile is the most practical and successful cruise missile in the world. From the Gulf War and the Kosovo War to Libya and Afghanistan, Tomahawk missiles are the first strike force of the US military, which has rich experience in using Tomahawk cruise missiles. According to statistics, during the 199 1 Gulf War, the US military launched 288 Tomahawk missiles, submarines launched 12 missiles and surface ships launched 276 missiles. It can be said that Iraq has been severely damaged and suppressed, and even the enemy has been paralyzed. In a few days, Iraq, known as the first military power in the Middle East, was beaten out of the water, with only 148 people killed. During the period of 1993, the US military launched 46 Tomahawk missiles at nuclear manufacturing facilities outside Baghdad, and 23 Tomahawk missiles were launched by the Iraqi Intelligence Command and Control Center.

Tomahawk missiles can be called the stepping stone and killer of the United States. From the first appearance in the Gulf War to the subsequent foreign wars in the United States, Tomahawk missiles were the first to appear and complete the first wave of attacks. In addition to aircraft carriers, the US military relies most on Tomahawk missiles. From 65438 to 0996, the US military launched 44 Tomahawk missiles from surface ships and B-52 bombers to air defense targets in southern Iraq. From 65438 to 0998, during Operation Desert Fox, the US military fired 325 Tomahawk missiles at the main targets in Iraq. 1999, American warships and British submarines fired 2 18 tomahawk missiles at the targets in Yugoslavia. In 200 1 year, the US military launched about 50 Tomahawk missiles to attack targets in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. In 2003, during the Iraq war, the US military fired 802 Tomahawk missiles at the main targets.

The early Tomahawk hit rate was 80%, and today's Tomahawk missiles are more accurate through continuous upgrading. In 20 1 1 year, the United States and Britain attacked Libya twice, launched 124 Tomahawk cruise missile once, and launched 159 Tomahawk cruise missile again. 20 14 On September 23rd, the US military launched 47 Tomahawk missiles to attack Islamic State targets in Syria. On April 6, 20 17, the US military launched 59 Tomahawk missiles and attacked the Syrian air base. On April 4, 20 18, 18, the US military launched 66 Tomahawk missiles into Syria. Today's Tomahawk missiles are not only equipped with better turbofan engines and more sophisticated electronic components, but also change the navigation mode. Especially with the progress of information technology, the preparation time of Tomahawk missiles has been shortened from the past few days to 24 hours, while the latest tactical Tomahawk missiles have shortened the preparation time to 4 minutes. At the same time, tactical Tomahawk missiles also show the ability to attack moving targets, and in terms of range and hit accuracy, Tomahawk missiles can be called the benchmark of contemporary cruise missiles.