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TOMAHAWK cruise missiles even more accurate than those used to devastating effect in the Gulf War will be carried in Britain's submarines by 1998. Secretary for Defence Michael Portillo announced last month that the conventionally armed missiles of the latest US Block 3 version which entered service this year would enable the UK "to threaten limited action against selected targets as a means of persuading an aggressor to desist from hostile
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In. today's strategic conditions t is important to have the capability to carry out precision attacks minimising the risk to our own forces, as well
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as to civilians," he said.
"We believe this sstcni ill provide a significant addition to our military capability." Cost of the system. to include frS missiles, will be LISOm. The latest Tomahawk has a range of around l.(XXl nautical miles and carries a 7(M)lh conventional high-explosive warhead which cannot explode on impact unless armed. Most of its significant improvements is its ability to navigate usin Global lksitioning System (GPs) satellite information. Recent advances in mean it can strike an individual building at the extremity of its range. limahawk even monitors its ii hcalth - it %% ill. if necessary. di ert usd1 to .t s.it area
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Roth lrat.ile.ir and Sts uttsurc class submarines will be titted to receive the weapon. but there ire no plans for Trident submarines or RN ships to carry it to fit it with a nuclear warhcad.
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As a for platform Tomahawk. the nuclear submarine has the advanof covert tage rapid, deployment and self-au,talnment for tong periods. Also, the missiles compatibility with existing submarine seapon systems and the launch 5% stem via torpedo tubes make it
cheaper and easier to install.
Ii Is designed as a land attack missile, missile. cannot be used against other submarines, and althouh it would be possible to give it a capability against ship targets the Navy has no plans to do ML
Oz ships return
JIM ShIPS Sheffield and Monmouth were returning to Devonport on November 2 after a deployment to Australia and South-East Asia. Their sesen months away took Sheffield to the Gulf for operations off Kuwait and Iraq. and to S. E. Asia where in comwith the tanker RFA rn% ;llzim,bleleaf she took part in exercises with Australian forces. Alter Monmouth and l3ramhlcleal conducted visits in Oceania and the Pacific. she joined Sheffield in September for an intensive. multi-national exercise in the South China Sea involving forces from Australia. New Zealand. Singapore and Malaysia (see also page 8). On Sheffield's return from her 40,(ME-mile marathon. 12 of her ship's company will return home to new babies born since the ship left.