Mechanical Testing of Tactical Tomahawk Missile

Tomahawk missile

Tomahawk cruise missiles are designed to fly at extremely low altitudes at high subsonic speeds. They are launched from destroyers, submarines or aircraft, and can hit a target with incredible accuracy. The missiles were successfully used in several conflicts, beginning with Operation Desert Storm in 1991.

A cruise missile is basically a 20-foot by 21-inch, pilotless airplane with an 8.5-foot wingspan. At launch, these missiles include a 550-pound solid-propellant rocket motor. This solid rocket booster accelerates the missile until the wings, tail fins, and air inlet unfold and a turbofan engine takes over for the cruise portion of the flight. Once its job is finished, the booster falls away.

The missile is capable of flying 500 to 1,000 miles to deliver a 1,000-pound high-explosive bomb to a target. When the bomb explodes, the $500,000 to $1,000,000 cruise missile is destroyed. Although very costly, they are the weapon of choice for a variety of quick-strike operations, both because of their accuracy and their effectiveness in evading detection by the enemy.

The Navy continues to improve the Tomahawk cruise missiles to meet the warfighters' needs for a more flexible and "tactical" precision strike weapon. The Tactical Tomahawk, scheduled for introduction in 2004, will incorporate new technologies to provide new operational capabilities at reduced costs.
Testing heat treated missile parts
Long-time LTI customer, Rex Heat Treat, brought us into a project for the missile that we all find fascinating. Rex is heat treating a case and closure for the motor that will launch the Tactical Tomahawk. In turn, LTI is testing the heat treated parts to ensure that all physical properties are achieved in the process. Our Mechanical Testing Department performs tensile testing on specimens cut in our Machine Shop from the motor casings and closures.

LTI's equipment can test a wide range of parts and specimens from small fasteners to large diameter tubing and bolts. Our procedures conform to ASTM, AMS, ASME, ANSI and MIL specifications.