Anti-surface Tomahawk a "game changing capability"

[F-22Raptor]

WEST: Bob Work Calls Navy’s Anti-Surface Tomahawk Test ‘Game Changing’

The Pentagon’s number two civilian praised a January test of Raytheon Tomahawk missile that successfully struck a moving maritime target calling it a “game changing capability.”

Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work used the test of the Block IV Tomahawk as an example of quickly adapting existing technology in new ways of an example of the defense innovation in line with the pursuit of the Pentagon’s Third Offset Strategy.

“A big part of the Third Offset Strategies is to find new and innovative ways to deploy promising technologies,” Work said during a keynote speech at the WEST 2015 conference.
“This is potentially a game changing capability for not a lot of cost. It’s a 1000 mile anti-ship cruise missile.”

The benefits of using the Tomahawk as an anti-ship missile include the ability for the weapon to be used on a variety of U.S. Navy platforms.

“It’s a 1000 mile anti-ship cruise missile,” he said.
“It can be used by practically by our entire surface and submarine fleet.”

In the test, a Block IV fired from USS Kidd (DDG-100) struck a moving maritime target while being guided by a F/A-18 Super Hornet that issued instructions to the missile mid-flight.

The Tomahawk test is also in line with U.S. surface forces new, “distributed lethality” concept to put more offensive power on U.S. surface ships.

“[U.S. Surface Forces commander Vice Adm.] Tom Rowden talks about having distributed lethality in the fleet and this is exactly the way we can go about doing it,” Work said.

In January, U.S. director of surface warfare said modifying existing weapon systems would be a component of the distributed lethality concept.

“I go take a seeker – if that’s my problem – and I glue it on the front end of an existing missile. If it doesn’t go far enough, I put a new backend on it. If someone around the world is already flying it, I go buy it,” Rear Adm. Peter Fanta said in January.

Work said the addition of a new seeker on the Tomahawk could preclude the need to develop a new high power anti-ship missile (ASM) – considered an urgent need by U.S. forces in U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM).

“What happens if we take another step and just make an advanced seeker on the Tomahawk, rather than building a new missile?” Work said.
“We believe if we make decisions like that that we will be able to out turn potential adversaries and maintain our technological superiority.”

The Navy is currently testing a next generation ASM, the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM).

Early iterations of the Tomahawk included an anti-ship variant – the Tomahawk Anti-Ship Missile (TASM). However most of the missiles were taken out of the Navy inventory in the early 1990s.

Currently, the Navy’s ASM is the RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile – a decades old anti-ship missile – has thought to have been eclipsed in range and sophistication by weapons developed internationally, USNI News understands.

WEST: Bob Work Calls Navy’s Anti-Surface Tomahawk Test ‘Game Changing’ - USNI News

 

[Kompromat]

@SvenSvensonov Suggested that Pakistan should upgrade Babur for serving the same role.

 

[SvenSvensonov]

@SvenSvensonov Suggested that Pakistan should upgrade Babur for serving the same role.

Absolutely it should be upgraded to serve in the same role. Babur has a long range, over 700 km, a massive warhead over 1500 kg, it can use satellite guidance to get near ships and internal systems for its terminal attack runs. All that is missing is an over-the-horizon sensor to locate enemy ships at extreme long ranges, such as 700 km.

That's where the P-3 comes into play, or even ship-borne helos if Pakistan is willing to use deployed assets as a relay targeting relay. The Russians used their TU-95s as missile relays, relaying coordinates to submarine launched cruise missiles, they still use this practice with their Oscar II class subs, Pakistan can use an upgraded P-3 for the same purpose... and the P-3's own attack capabilities.

Heck, even smaller systems such as the F-16 or J/F-17 can acts as a relay if they are given the proper systems.

The only impediment would be how to acquire this type of long-range sensor package. I'm not aware of China yet having this capability, even though it has long-range missiles, and the US isn't too keen on selling this type of tech to anyone other than Japan. Over-the-Horizon targeting is still seen as a major weakness for the PLAN and PLA as a whole.

But, and this is really important, if Pakistan and Russia become more friendly, perhaps Russia can offer the same tech it uses on its maritime TU-95s. Unlike the US who picks sides, and even though Russia still supplies India too, Russia has always been more than willing to arm both sides (look at China and Vietnam).

Right now, upgrading the Babur to act as an anti-ship missile would be a massive deterrent to India, especially with the Babur's long-range and heavy payload. The over-the-horizon targeting problem can be worked out with help from Russia, or China once they acquire it (assume they haven't already). Or, and an even better but more costly and time consuming method, is simply for Pakistan to develop its own long-range sensors.

The Tomahawk validates the concept, it's time for Pakistan to follow.

 

[Kompromat]

Absolutely it should be upgraded to serve in the same role. Babur has a long range, over 700 km, a massive warhead over 1500 kg, it can use satellite guidance to get near ships and internal systems for its terminal attack runs. All that is missing is an over-the-horizon sensor to locate enemy ships at extreme long ranges, such as 700 km.

That's where the P-3 comes into play, or even ship-borne helos if Pakistan is willing to use deployed as a relay targeting relay. The Russians used their TU-95s as missile relays, relaying coordinates to submarine launched cruise missiles, they still use this practice with their Oscar II class subs, Pakistan can use an upgraded P-3 for the same purpose... and the P-3's own attack capabilities.

Heck, even smaller systems such as the F-16 or J/F-17 can acts as a relay if they are given the proper systems.

The only impediment would be how to acquire this type of long-range sensor package. I'm not away of China yet having this capability, even though it has long-range missiles, and the US isn't too keen on selling this type of tech to anyone other than Japan.

But, and this is really important, if Pakistan and Russia become more friendly, perhaps Russia can offer the same tech it uses on its maritime TU-95s. Unlike the US who picks sides, and even though Russia still supplies India too, Russia has always been more than willing to arm both sides (look at China and Vietnam).

Right now, upgrading the Babur to act as an anti-ship missile would be a massive deterrent to India, especially with the Babur's long-range and heavy payload. The over-the-horizon targeting problem can be worked out with help from Russia, or China once they acquire it (assume they haven't already). Or, and an even better, but more costly and time consuming method, is simply for Pakistan o develop its own long-range sensors.

The Tomahawk validates the concept, it's time for Pakistan to follow.

This is the next logical step after the integration of Babur-N on Khalid class subs. Pakistan might want to use the existing land based shoot and scoot vehicles for such a surface attack variant since we don't have a destroyer sized ship in our fleet yet.

@SvenSvensonov - Pakistan Navy is an 'orphan' service unfortunately. We are not taking it seriously . With the induction of 6X new AIP subs, 2X JF-17 Block II squadrons, some new frigates and possibly a nuclear powered sub would boost its sea denial capabilities.

 

[SvenSvensonov]

This is the next logical step after the integration of Babur-N on Khalid class subs. Pakistan might want to use the existing land based shoot and scoot vehicles for such a surface attack variant since we don't have a destroyer sized ship in our fleet yet.

@SvenSvensonov - Pakistan Navy is an 'orphan' service unfortunately. We are not taking it seriously . With the induction of 6X new AIP subs, 2X JF-17 Block II squadrons, some new frigates and possibly a nuclear powered sub would boost its sea denial capabilities.

Yeah, I've notice that and one area that concerns me the most is Pakistan's anti-submarine capability. I know Wikipedia isn't the best source (though it is sourced for other websites), but according to it the PN only has 12 Z-9EC helos for anti-sub capability, 6 Sea Kings and 8 Alouette IIIs. Of course these are augmented by 7 P-3s, but that's not too many either, especially as India ramps up its own submarine production.

That's a major area of deficiency. Pakistan and China need to work out a deal for more helos, but with the new subs, Type 039s I believe, that will help tip the balance too. For a nation like Pakistan, facing a potentially massive enemy in India, even if war doesn't seem like a possibility right now, this simply isn't good enough.

Also, for long-range attack, has these been any talk about a longer ranged aircraft? China's H-6 has been in service with Iraq and Egypt, though both retired it, but it could still be an option for Pakistan, especially in its anti-ship H-6D variant.

I'm not sure if China is willing to sell a strategic bomber masquerading as a maritime patrol aircraft, the Russians are with their TU-95s, but its an option that I, if I was in a position to do so, would at least acquire about. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

 

[Kompromat]

Yeah, I've notice that and one area that concerns me the most is Pakistan's anti-submarine capability. I know Wikipedia isn't the best source (though it is sourced for other websites), but according to it the PN only has 12 Z-9EC helos for anti-sub capability, 6 Sea Kings and 8 Alouette IIIs. Of course these are augmented by 7 P-3s, but that's not too many either, especially as India ramps up its own submarine production.

That's a major area of deficiency. Pakistan and China need to work out a deal for more helos, but with the new subs, Type 039s I believe, that will help tip the balance too. For a nation like Pakistan, facing a potentially massive enemy in India, even if war doesn't seem like a possibility right now, this simply isn't good enough.

Also, for long-range attack, has these been any talk about a longer ranged aircraft? China's H-6 has been in service with Iraq and Egypt, though both retired it, but it could still be an option for Pakistan, especially in its anti-ship H-6D variant.

I'm not sure if China is willing to see a strategic bomber masquerading as a maritime patrol aircraft, but its an option that I, if I was in a position to do so, would at least acquire about. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

J-16 would cut it?

 

[UKBengali]

What does "game changing" mean in this case?

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

 

[black-hawk_101]

They can easily put a radar in nose to do all that with GPS in place already.

 

[Oldman1]

They can easily put a radar in nose to do all that with GPS in place already.

Has nothing to do with the radar. The purpose is that the Tomahawk can be guided by aircraft or ship to targets in real time. Think about it. If an enemy ship was detected about 1000km or more away and a destroyer fires a Tomahawk which is subsonic in that direction, that enemy ship which is moving would be long gone by the time the Tomahawk gets there, probably beyond the seeker to find any ships in area. So it needs to be constantly fed new information or guided to the target. The Tomahawk is not smart enough to think where the target could be in the next future hours.

 

[black-hawk_101]

Has nothing to do with the radar. The purpose is that the Tomahawk can be guided by aircraft or ship to targets in real time. Think about it. If an enemy ship was detected about 1000km or more away and a destroyer fires a Tomahawk which is subsonic in that direction, that enemy ship which is moving would be long gone by the time the Tomahawk gets there, probably beyond the seeker to find any ships in area. So it needs to be constantly fed new information or guided to the target. The Tomahawk is not smart enough to think where the target could be in the next future hours.

I mean put radar so that it may see the target at 70 Km. before that guide it through any launch system's radar ship or jet.