A U.S. Navy Tomahawk cruise missile was launched last week from USS GREENEVILLE (SSN-772), a submerged LOS ANGELES-Class submarine underway in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of southern Calif. The missile flew a land attack mission, launching from the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) sea ranges.

Seconds after launch from the submarine's torpedo tube, the Tomahawk missile transitioned to cruise flight. It flew a fully guided 530-nautical mile test flight using global positioning satellite navigation to a target site on the NAVAIR land range. Enroute to the final target site, the missile performed four dispenses on targets in the NAVAIR land ranges, all before executing a terminal dive.

Tomahawk missiles are deployed throughout the world's oceans on numerous surface ships and submarines, including AEGIS-Class Cruisers, Guided Missile Destroyers, and SEAWOLF and LOS ANGELES-Class submarines. This test event marked the first Tomahawk firing for the USS GREENEVILLE.

As in all Tomahawk flight tests, air route safety was carefully planned in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration. For safety purposes, the Tomahawk could have been guided by commands from safety chase aircraft.

The Tomahawk program is managed by the Program Executive Office, Strike Weapons and Unmanned Aviation (PEO(W)) co-located at the NAVAIR complex in Patuxent River, Maryland. The missile is manufactured by Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, AZ. Tomahawk is a registered trademark of the United States Navy.