Raytheon receives contract to develop anti-ship Tomahawk cruise missile

Aug. 31 (UPI) -- The U.S. Defense Department has awarded Raytheon with a $119 million order for engineering services on the U.S. Navy's Tactical Tomahawk Block IV All-Up Round cruise missile.

The order will provide for analysis and prototyping for the Tactical Tomahawk's seeker head, as part of the Maritime Strike Tomahawk Program.

The Tactical Tomahawk Block IV is an upgraded version of the Tomahawk long-range cruise missile. The Navy wants Raytheon modify the Tomahawk's targeting system so it can strike moving naval targets.

The Tomahawk Anti-Ship Missile version of the platform was withdrawn from service in the 1990s, but concerns over a lack of long-range anti-ship capability has led the Navy to reconsider the Tomahawk as an anti-ship weapon.

The Navy currently uses the Tomahawk on its surface combatants and submarines, using vertical launch systems like the Mk 41. It has a range of more than 1,000 miles and can deploy a variety of warheads, including submunitions.

The Tomahawk has seen extensive use in the first Gulf War, Iraq, Libya and other conflicts. The Navy plans to have anti-ship variants of the Tomahawk deployed by the early 2020s.