The Tomahawk land attack
missile - managed by Naval Air Systems Command's (NAVAIR) Program
Executive Office for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons (PEO(U&W))
- is an all-weather, long-range, sub-sonic cruise missile used for
land attack warfare, and is launched from U.S. Navy surface ships
and submarines.
"This latest FGT -
which is the 84th we've conducted in the past 25 years - was in support
of the RGM-109E Block IV, Vertical Launch System (VLS) full-rate production
lot acceptance," said NSWC IHEODTD's Michael Spriggs, senior
engineer and FGT test conductor. "For the test, we used a single,
representative missile from the full-rate production line to demonstrate
the capability of this lot to perform mission requirements. The data
we collected from the test will be used to verify the manufacturing
processes and quality of missiles produced."
During the test, the missile
is exercised at the system level as it would be in an operational
flight through the detonation command, except that the missile is
restrained in a specially designed test stand and is equipped with
an inert warhead.
"After 'launch,' real-time,
six-degree-of-freedom accredited mission simulation software provides
inputs to the missile's guidance system to mimic flight, targeting
and detonation. The missile 'flew' for about an hour and 45 minutes
before it successfully acquired the target," said NSWC IHEODTD
FGT software lead Mike Gardner.
Because the missile remains
intact, special instrumentation can be applied and thorough post-flight
inspections can be conducted. "Preliminary assessment indicates
this missile performed as expected and all test objectives were achieved,"
said Spriggs.
According to Spriggs, the
FGT program at NSWC IHEODTD began in 1990 as a basic test capability
to support NAVAIR's Tomahawk Weapons System Program Office (PMA-280),
and has evolved along with the missile to support all variants. In
addition to acceptance testing, FGTs are conducted to verify new missiles;
assess service life of aged missiles; monitor stockpiled missiles;
or observe newly engineered components.
"We anticipate conducting
the next FGT later this fiscal year to sample a capsule launching
system variant," said NSWC IHEODTD's Phillip Vaughn, FGT program
manager.
the Navy's planned purchase
of 214 Tomahawk Block IV missiles for fiscal year 2015. With a range
of approximately 1,000 statute miles, the Tomahawk Block IV missile
is a surface- and submarine-launched precision strike stand-off weapon.
Tomahawk is designed for long-range precision strike missions against
high-value and heavily defended targets. More than 2,000 Tomahawks
have been employed in combat. More than 500 Tomahawk flight and production
validation tests have been completed. The missile is integrated on
all major U.S. surface combatants, as well as U.S. and U.K. sub-surface
platforms, including the Los Angeles, Virginia, Ohio, Astute and Trafalgar
class submarines.
