Russia warns of Tomahawk against Baltic, Northern Fleet ships Opinion by Bulgarian Military

The United States can launch Tomahawk cruise missiles at the bases of the Baltic and Northern Fleets from Bornholm, a Danish island in the Baltic Sea.

This assertion comes from Admiral Vladimir Kasatonov, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, who discussed this in the Ministry of Defense magazine “Military Thought”, Bulgarian Military reports.

Admiral Kasatonov highlighted that last fall, the US deployed the Typhon medium- and short-range mobile missile system on Bornholm. This system can strike sea targets within a 400 km radius and employs Standard-6 anti-aircraft guided missiles operating on a quasi-ballistic trajectory.

“The inclusion of Tomahawk cruise missiles, boasting a range of 2,400 km, within the Typhon complex adds a layer of threat to naval forces and installations. With Finland and Sweden now part of NATO, the threat to the Baltic and Northern Fleets will only intensify,” remarked Kasatonov.

Anchored missile cruiser

The United States hasn’t reported transferring Tomahawk missiles to Bornholm, but for the first time ever, they deployed the Raytheon Standard SM-6 launcher in Europe. According to Defense24, the US military could potentially deliver Tomahawk missiles to Bornholm if needed, dubbing the island an “anchored missile cruiser.”

Historically, the Russian-American Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces [INF] prevented the US from placing missile launchers in Europe. This treaty, signed by the US and the USSR in 1987, targeted land-based ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges from 500–1,000 km [shorter] and 1,000–5,500 km [medium]. It also required the destruction of these missiles and a halt in producing and testing new INF missiles.

Russia accused the US

However, back in 2007, Russia accused the U.S. of violating this treaty because Eastern Europe had American missile defense systems, which could also serve as INF launchers. It’s worth noting that the US had already withdrawn from the Anti-Ballistic Missile [ABM] Treaty in 2002.

Back in 2014, the US alleged that Russia was testing a cruise missile with a range exceeding 500 km. By 2019, both the US and Russia had exited the treaty, though Moscow enacted a unilateral moratorium on the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces [INF] Treaty.

During this period, Russian President Vladimir Putin assured that Russia wouldn’t station medium-range surface-to-surface missiles in Europe unless similar American weapons were deployed there first.

The long-range Tomahawk

The Tomahawk missile is a long-range, subsonic cruise missile primarily used by the United States Navy and Royal Navy. It is designed for precision strikes against high-value or heavily defended land targets. The missile can be launched from both surface ships and submarines, making it a versatile weapon in modern naval warfare.

In terms of dimensions, the Tomahawk missile is approximately 20.6 feet [6.25 meters] in length and has a diameter of about 20.4 inches [0.52 meters]. The missile’s wingspan, when deployed, is around 8.9 feet [2.67 meters]. These dimensions allow it to be stored and launched from various platforms, including vertical launch systems and torpedo tubes.

The propulsion system of the Tomahawk missile consists of a solid-fuel rocket booster for initial launch and a turbofan engine for sustained flight. The solid-fuel booster propels the missile out of the launch platform and into the air, after which the booster is jettisoned and the turbofan engine takes over, allowing the missile to cruise at subsonic speeds over long distances.

High-tech equipment

The Tomahawk missile is equipped with advanced guidance systems that include GPS, inertial navigation, and terrain contour matching [TERCOM]. These systems enable the missile to navigate accurately over long distances and adjust its flight path in real time to avoid obstacles and countermeasures. Additionally, the Digital Scene-Matching Area Correlator [DSMAC] allows for precise targeting by comparing pre-loaded images with the actual terrain.

The operational range of the Tomahawk missile varies depending on the specific variant, but it generally falls between 800 to 1,500 miles [1,300 to 2,500 kilometers]. This extensive range allows it to be launched from a safe distance, reducing the risk to the launch platform while still being able to strike deep into enemy territory.

Tomahawk missiles can be equipped with different types of warheads depending on the mission requirements. The most common warhead is a conventional unitary warhead, which is designed to deliver a high-explosive payload to a specific target. There are also variants with submunitions designed to disperse smaller bomblets over a wide area, as well as versions capable of carrying nuclear warheads, although the latter are less commonly discussed in public sources.