AGM-109/BGM-109 Tomahawk/Gryphon

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.
 
zjz said:
What is this from the SDASM archive?? Apologies if this is not related to Tomahawk ....
[...]
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Unfortunately that picture is not related to the Tomahawk, MFTF stands for "Mirror Fusion Test Facility".
Sources:
en.wikipedia.org

Mirror Fusion Test Facility - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
www.beautifulpublicdata.com

The Mirror Fusion Test Facility

A decade-long effort to build a machine to unlock the promise of nuclear fusion fell victim to budget constraints and competing science, and was shut down the day it was dedicated. It was never turned on.
www.beautifulpublicdata.com www.beautifulpublicdata.com
Dear mods, please feel free to delate or move these posts to a more suitable topic.
 

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