The Tomahawk cruise missile is one of America’s most precise and reliable long‑range strike weapons. Launched from ships and submarines, it can travel over 1,600 kilometers (1,000+ miles) to hit high‑value targets deep inside enemy territory, without risking a pilot’s life.

Unlike ballistic missiles that arc through space, the Tomahawk flies low and stealthy, hugging terrain and using GPS, inertial navigation, and terrain-matching systems to slip past radar. It’s designed for surgical strikes on command centers, air defenses, radar sites, and hardened infrastructure.

First used in combat during the Gulf War in 1991, the Tomahawk has since become a signature tool of the United States Navy. In late February 2026, the U.S. deployed Tomahawks in strikes against Iran, targeting air defenses, missile launchers, command centers, and other strategic sites as part of a large-scale offensive. This demonstrates how the missile remains central to modern U.S. precision warfare.

Built by Raytheon, newer Tomahawk variants can even be reprogrammed mid‑flight, allowing commanders to change targets in real time.

In simple terms:
The Tomahawk is a long-distance sniper rifle for warships: silent, accurate, and devastatingly efficient, now proven in one of the most consequential U.S. strikes of 2026.