AGM-109 / BGM-109 Tomahawk / Gryphon Concepts, Projects and Prototypes

zjz said:
Reducing the fins from 4 to 3 reduces parts count, and since actuators are now electromagnetic rather than hydraulic/pneumatic, reliability also improves ....
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Worth mentioning that with a ~120 degree offset instead of a 90 degree offset you don't have a nice set of corner reflectors, vastly reducing the side-aspect RCS of the missile.
 
RavenOne said:
[...]
Includes Tomahawk, so the army is now in the GLCM business
[...]
cheers
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Scott Kenny said:
Still non-nuclear, which the old GLCMs were.
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Just as the US Army is back in the non- nuclear GLCM business in Europe again, a lot of pictures showing the development and testing of the nuclear BGM-109G GLCM "Gryphon" during late Seventies / early Eighties were posted at SDASM Flickr archive during the last few weeks. :cool:
Here two appetisers.
Picture 1
Picture 2
 
 
fightingirish said:
Cool, this is an interesting recoverable version of the AGM-109/BGM-109 Tomahawk/Gryphon, but I wonder if this version was just for testing, for combat with a warhead, if a mission is aborted, or even for reconnaissance.
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Would be interesting if they could make one fly out, drop a couple SDBs, then come back.
 
fightingirish said:
Cool, this is an interesting recoverable version of the AGM-109/BGM-109 Tomahawk/Gryphon, but I wonder if this version was just for testing, for combat with a warhead, if a mission is aborted, or even for reconnaissance.
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The Potential Applications slide lists several uses for a parachute recovered Tomahawk, from reconnaissance to antitank attacks and SEAD.
 
sferrin said:
Basically. I'd think Tomahawk might be cheaper but then who knows how many flights you could get out of it. Maybe just make one with a warhead option of 3 SDBs. Now that I think about it, I wonder why they've never done that with ATACMs.
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They had a bunch of smart submunition proposals for ATACMS (BAT, for example). SDB might be a bit too long.

Post in thread 'Vought JTACMS/ATACMS (MGM-140)' https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/vought-jtacms-atacms-mgm-140.28752/post-543654
 
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fightingirish said:
Cool, this is an interesting recoverable version of the AGM-109/BGM-109 Tomahawk/Gryphon, but I wonder if this version was just for testing, for combat with a warhead, if a mission is aborted, or even for reconnaissance.
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I have a feeling that the main mission of this version was to get Convair/General Dynamics salespeople into the room with decision makers.

The whole concept of recoverable Tomahawks with reconnaissance packages and/or disposable ordnance does make the point that the line between 'drone', 'suicide drone', and 'cruise missile' is pretty thin.
 
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Yellow Palace said:
The whole concept of recoverable Tomahawks with reconnaissance packages and/or disposable ordnance does make the point that the line between 'drone', 'suicide drone', and 'cruise missile' is pretty thin.
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And of course, several NATO armies already had things like the CL-89 drone. A recce Tomahawk would have been an improvement in capability but not something radically new.

And of course, the USAF had already experimented with armed Firebee drones.
 
fightingirish said:
Cool, this is an interesting recoverable version of the AGM-109/BGM-109 Tomahawk/Gryphon, but I wonder if this version was just for testing, for combat with a warhead, if a mission is aborted, or even for reconnaissance.
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IMHO the recoverable version of the AGM-109/BGM-109 Tomahawk/Gryphon was first planned for early development and flight testing.
Later on, Convair / General Dynamics proposed some other potential applications. So a recoverable version would have been for reconnaissance and surveillance missions, or as mentioned before with submunition against tanks, SAM-sites and airfields.
https://flic.kr/p/2qbeVT1
View: https://flic.kr/p/2qbeVT1

https://flic.kr/p/2qbkR95
View: https://flic.kr/p/2qbkR95
https://flic.kr/p/2qbmgjW
View: https://flic.kr/p/2qbmgjW

https://flic.kr/p/2qbkRaH
View: https://flic.kr/p/2qbkRaH
 
sferrin said:
Been saying for years (hell probably decades at this point) that we should do something like this.
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Yes, something like that would be awesome. Especially if you can pack the equivalent of a Mk37 as the warhead to drop. Or a longer ranged Mk54.

Obviously, a 250kt nuke depth charge is another warhead option.
 
Here a picture showing BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missile concept with a turbo prop, which can be recovered by a USN ship.
https://flic.kr/p/2qdadsN
View: https://flic.kr/p/2qdadsN

Here some more appetisers:
https://flic.kr/p/2qdazLk
View: https://flic.kr/p/2qdazLk

https://flic.kr/p/2qdadqd
View: https://flic.kr/p/2qdadqd

and
https://flic.kr/p/2qdaA3T
View: https://flic.kr/p/2qdaA3T

The United Fruit Company (CIA) send their regards. :p:D
More new uploaded pictures can be found at the SDASM Flickr archive since today,
 
Yes Cthell, you're right.:)
After looking at this picture again and seeing the other Tomahawk in upper right corner, it is not a turbo-prop for flight, but rather a rotor kite to slow down the descent during recovery.
 
TomS said:
The 154-inch ALCM on a SRAM launcher is interesting. That's almost 4 feet shorter than MRASM, the shortest version actually tested. Presumably it would have a nuke warhead, or it would end up with almost no fuel at all.
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I'm assuming it's an equivalent to the AGM-86A, from before it was decided that developing 'short' and 'long' ALCMs didn't really make sense.
 
Yellow Palace said:
I'm assuming it's an equivalent to the AGM-86A, from before it was decided that developing 'short' and 'long' ALCMs didn't really make sense.
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The AGM-86A didn't have the required range, that's why it was scrapped... and then 20 years later... JASSM.
 

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