Article Posted on : - Sep 11, 2014

Tomahawk cruise missile. Photo: Raytheon.

TUCSON, ARIZONA (BNS): The US Navy and Raytheon Company completed successful back-to-back Tomahawk cruise missile flight tests that validated recent software improvements. The upgrades improve weapon system performance.

In the first test, the nuclear submarine USS Hampton (SSN 767) fired a Tomahawk Block IV from the sub's vertical capsule launch system.

The missile flew a pre-planned mission until a strike controller located at a maritime command center directed the Tomahawk to a new target.

The missile successfully demonstrated enhanced flex retargeting before striking the updated target at the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake weapons range, according to the company news release.

In the second test, the guided missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain (CG 57) launched a Tomahawk Block IV.

The Tomahawk flew a series of pre-planned high altitude manoeuvres demonstrating improved performance in this flight regime.

The missile completed a pre-planned vertical dive impacting a target on San Nicolas Island off the Southern California coast, the release added.

"By constantly improving Tomahawk, we are helping to ensure that US and allied warfighters have this critical capability far into the future," Mike Jarrett, Raytheon Air Warfare Systems vice president was quoted as saying in the report.

The US Navy has conducted more than 70 successful Tomahawk Block IV flight tests since 2006. The cruise missile has been employed in combat more than 2000 times since it was introduced.