Tomahawk Block IV missile enters service with UK

摘要

The UK Royal Navy (RN) has declared the submarine-launched Tomahawk Block IV cruise missile operational three months ahead of its original programme schedule. HMS Torbay, a Trafalgar-class nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN), is the first UK submarine to be equipped with the torpedo tube launch (TTL) Block IV missile. Originally conceived as the Tactical Tomahawk, the Block IV version has been developed by Raytheon Missile Systems and the US Navy (USN) to meet requirements for a more affordable all-up round that at the same time provides a more responsive and flexible capability than the earlier Block III round.