Question - When a ship fires a tomahawk cruise missile

[Buckshot Bear]

When a ship fires a tomahawk missile, there's a lot of gas, smoke, fumes etc coming out of the launch tube that I would expect leaves a lot of deposits in the launch tube.

Does the launch tube need to cleaned out of any leftover deposits from the firing?

Also do the ships carry spare tomahawks on board and are able to reload the launch tubes at sea, or is this only possible back at a base when the ship is docked?

 

 

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

If my rememberer is right, (questionable at any time, but I've been wrong a couple times lately), the launch tube is part of the reload, the missle housed in it and the whole thing replaced on the launcher. Kind of like changing a magazine.

[watab kid]

7 minutes ago, Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 said:

If my rememberer is right, (questionable at any time, but I've been wrong a couple times lately), the launch tube is part of the reload, the missle housed in it and the whole thing replaced on the launcher. Kind of like changing a magazine.

 

thats what i think i was told and i think they can be resupplied at sea - dont have to dock to have it done , 

 

[Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062]

Question - When a ship fires a tomahawk cruise missile can it get a similar job on another ship or does it have to seek some sort of employment on land ???

[Blackwater 53393]

5 hours ago, Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062 said:

Question - When a ship fires a tomahawk cruise missile can it get a similar job on another ship or does it have to seek some sort of employment on land ???

I sometimes worry about you, Wobbly!!

[Chantry]

8 hours ago, Buckshot Bear said:

Also do the ships carry spare tomahawks on board and are able to reload the launch tubes at sea, or is this only possible back at a base when the ship is docked?

 

The ships do not carry spare missiles.  The last I heard reloading the cell (the missile and it's container) is only when docked, although they are working on a way to do it at sea.

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

 

Seems kink of dumb.  It's like your in a gun fight in San Francisco, and shoot your handguns dry.  Then you have to stop, ride to Saint Louis to reload and then ride back to the gun fight, shoot the guns dry, then ride back > > > > > ????   Now, I'm no Naval Warfare Guru, but that just doesn't make sense. 

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

5 minutes ago, Colorado Coffinmaker said:

Seems kink of dumb.  It's like your in a gun fight in San Francisco, and shoot your handguns dry.  Then you have to stop, ride to Saint Louis to reload and then ride back to the gun fight, shoot the guns dry, then ride back > > > > > ????   Now, I'm no Naval Warfare Guru, but that just doesn't make sense. 

Look at it this way, a conventional gun on a ship fires a number of shells to hit a specific target. A Tomahawk is a precision weapon. You only NEED to fire one to destroy your target. 

They carry more than you might think too. According to Dr. Google, a US Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyers (DDG) typically carry 90 to 96 Tomahawk cruise missiles. And Naval ships don't usually go into harm's way alone. So it's not like shooting a revolver dry without a reload. 

[Blackwater 53393]

 Transferrable Reload At-sea Method (TRAM): Successfully tested in October 2024, this hydraulically powered arm allows for reloading in conditions up to sea state 4 or 5 (6- to 8-foot waves).

• Current Status: While a game-changer for keeping ships in theater, TRAM is still in development and is expected to begin fielding across the fleet around 2026 or 2027

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

 

That's OK when engaging singular fix'd targets.  However, when Naval Artillery support is called for support of advancing ground units, 90+ rounds won't last long at all.

[Stump Water]

18 minutes ago, Colorado Coffinmaker said:

That's OK when engaging singular fix'd targets.  However, when Naval Artillery support is called for support of advancing ground units...

 

... they send aircraft.  Cruise missiles aren't for CAS.

[Chantry]

1 hour ago, Colorado Coffinmaker said:

 

Seems kink of dumb.  It's like your in a gun fight in San Francisco, and shoot your handguns dry.  Then you have to stop, ride to Saint Louis to reload and then ride back to the gun fight, shoot the guns dry, then ride back > > > > > ????   Now, I'm no Naval Warfare Guru, but that just doesn't make sense. 

 

There really isn't the space for reloads and the equipment to reload the cells.  A Flight 1 (1st generation) weighs 8300 tons and has 90 VLS cells with a mix of missiles for air defense, anti sub defense, ship to ship and land attack.  Add the engines, fuel, sensors and all the other things required for a warship.

 

To add reloads would require a much larger ship, more equipment, more crew and more cost.

 

*I find the design requirements & limitations for warships interesting.  And yes I am weird.

[J.D. Daily]

2 hours ago, Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 said:

Look at it this way, a conventional gun on a ship fires a number of shells to hit a specific target. A Tomahawk is a precision weapon. You only NEED to fire one to destroy your target. 

They carry more than you might think too. According to Dr. Google, a US Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyers (DDG) typically carry 90 to 96 Tomahawk cruise missiles. And Naval ships don't usually go into harm's way alone. So it's not like shooting a revolver dry without a reload. 

Even if one Tomahawk CM with conventional WH is enough to destroy the target multiple missiles will be required to get a high probability of a kill.  To insure a kill it takes more missiles than the layered air defense systems protecting the target.  Just look at the Russia/Ukraine war.  A typical Ukrainian attack on a high value Russian asset which are protected by multiple layers of air defense systems.  1st Ukraine flies a couple of swarms (16+) cheap drones from at least 2 directions which are timed to reach the target area at a time interval that is less than the S300, S400, Pantsir and Tor systems.  These swarms are followed by more costly attack drone swarm(s) and volley of cruise missiles.  only a couple of attach drones or cruise missiles hit the target.  

[Pat Riot]

After I left my ship they got 4 Tomahawk launch tubes. Once fired the box is replaced with a new box containing another missile. At that time the only way to reload was at a Naval Weapons Station or it could be done at sea by an Ammunition Ship, I am pretty sure. 
My ship was a Cruiser. It sailed with another Cruiser and an Aircraft Carrier. That was our battle group. 
USS Eisenhower CVN-69

USS Virginia CGN- 38 (my ship)

USS South Carolina CGN-37

 

Pretty sure if the Virginia launched all 4 Tomahawks the Carrier and the So-Car could provide some support… 

[Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062]

9 hours ago, Blackwater 53393 said:

I sometimes worry about you, Wobbly!!

 

 

     ........... only sometimes ???

 

          I'm gonna have to work harder on that'n.

[Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001]

the missle be on a 1 way trip 

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

1 hour ago, Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001 said:

the missle be on a 1 way trip 

Better than a round trip.

[watab kid]

god bless our boomers , mat they always find their mark 

[Pat Riot]

7 hours ago, watab kid said:

god bless our boomers , mat they always find their mark 

Are you taking about us older guys that like our .45 Colts?

[Chantry]

1 hour ago, Pat Riot said:

Are you taking about us older guys that like our .45 Colts?

More likely the 4 Ohio class submarines that were converted to cruise missile carriers  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohio-class_submarine#SSBN/SSGN_conversions

[Pat Riot]

1 hour ago, Chantry said:

More likely the 4 Ohio class submarines that were converted to cruise missile carriers  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohio-class_submarine#SSBN/SSGN_conversions

Uh…I was joking Captain. 

[watab kid]

On 4/10/2026 at 6:52 AM, Pat Riot said:

Are you taking about us older guys that like our .45 Colts?

i was refering to our guided missal boats both surface and subsurface , but im all for us old guys being accurate as well as our tools , 

 

i realize that was a cold war reference but hey , im old