The Navy and Tucson-based Raytheon Missile Systems have successfully tested a network-enabled version of Raytheon’s Tomahawk cruise missile, prompting it to take reconnaissance photos and retargeting the weapon in mid-flight.
During the test, Raytheon said, a Tomahawk Block IV cruise missile launched from the guided missile destroyer USS Gridley used its onboard camera to capture battle damage indication imagery and then transmitted the image to fleet headquarters via a two-way satellite datalink.
The missile was later retargeted by strike controllers at the U.S. Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain to a new aim point on the Navy's range at San Nicolas Island, off the coast of southern California. The missile then performed a vertical dive and struck the designated target, Raytheon said.