The Tomahawk cruise missiles carried by the USS Georgia enable it to destroy targets hundreds of kilometers away.

The USS Georgia is one of the Navy's four Guided Missile Submarines (SSGNs), Ohio-class submarines converted into conventional land attack and Special Operations Forces (SOF) platforms.

Like all other SSGNs, the USS Georgia has four torpedo tubes capable of launching Mk48 torpedoes and up to 154 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles loaded in seven-shot Multiple-All-Up-Round Canisters in up to 22 missile tubes.

The four SSGNs combined represent more than half of the Submarine Force's vertical launch payload capacity, according to the US Navy.

The Tomahawk family of missiles, which are typically launched from ships and submarines, can strike both enemy ships and land targets from up to 1,609km away and at speeds of up to 885km per hour.

A networked weapon

The Tomahawk evades radar detection by traveling at extremely low altitudes, flying above the earth or sea at 30-plus meters above ground level.

Weighing in at 454kg, the Tomahawk's unitary warhead can be configured to eliminate soft targets like parked aircraft, vehicles and adversary forces as well as hard targets like bunkers, underground command posts and hardened aircraft shelters.

The Tomahawk can be reprogrammed mid-flight based on tactical Link 16 data.

Link 16 is a secure and jam-resistant tactical data link network used for critical communications by the United States, NATO allies and other partners. It enhances the Tomahawk's flexibility and accuracy by integrating its advanced positional and navigation systems with critical, real-time information.

Using those network-centric capabilities, the Tomahawk can find targets utilizing sensor data from multiple sources, including friendly aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, satellites and ground assets.

The Block V

The Tomahawk in recent years has received upgrades that further improve its ability to hit moving and fixed targets.

In 2020, the Navy began recertifying and modernizing the Block IV missile, extending its service life by 15 years, and resulting in the new Tomahawk Block V series. All Block IV Tomahawks are set for conversion to Block V standard, while the remaining Block III missiles will be retired.

The Block V features a navigation and communication upgrade that gives it longer range and more dynamic targeting than the Block IV has.

The new Block V Tomahawk includes two variants: the Block Va and the Block Vb.

The Block Va is the Maritime Strike Tomahawk variant capable of striking moving targets at sea. The Block Vb, also known as the Joint Multiple Effects Warhead System, is designed to enhance the penetration capabilities of the Tomahawk warhead.