EXPLAINER: What is a Tomahawk missile and how powerful is it?

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said a live-fire exercise involving a United States Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) was conducted on Monday as part of the 2026 Balikatan exercises.

According to the AFP, the missile was launched at around 12:20 a.m. from a military-controlled area on the western portion of the runway of Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport in Tacloban.

The missile reached its designated target at about 1:33 a.m. in the Combat Readiness Training Area in Laur, Nueva Ecija within Fort Magsaysay.

But what is a Tomahawk missile, and how powerful is it?

The Tomahawk missile is a long-range, precision-guided weapon developed in the United States and commonly used by naval forces to strike land targets, according to Britannica.

Often launched from warships or submarines, the Tomahawk is designed to hit fixed targets such as communication facilities, air defense systems, and command centers, especially in areas where deploying piloted aircraft would be too risky.

It flies at low altitude—typically around 30 to 90 meters above the ground—helping it avoid radar detection and enemy defenses.

The missile can also maneuver mid-flight, following terrain contours to stay hidden from radar systems.

A Tomahawk can travel up to about 2,400 kilometers and reach speeds of around 885 kilometers per hour. It is unmanned and highly accurate, with an estimated margin of error of about five meters.

Measuring over five meters in length, it is powered initially by a rocket booster during launch, then by a turbofan engine that produces low heat, making it harder to detect using infrared sensors.

To navigate, the Tomahawk uses advanced guidance systems, including GPS and terrain contour matching (TERCOM). It can also use preloaded digital imagery to refine target identification.

Tomahawks are typically launched vertically from ships, while submarines can fire them through torpedo tubes or dedicated launch systems.

Once airborne, the missile can be retargeted if necessary. In some cases, it can loiter over an area while transmitting imagery back to operators for assessment before striking.

It typically carries a conventional warhead of about 450 kilograms—enough to destroy reinforced structures such as command centers, radar installations, and air defense systems. Rather than causing wide-area destruction, it delivers a highly targeted strike with minimal collateral damage.

According to Britannica, the missile entered service in the early 1980s, with submarine-launched versions deployed in 1983.

It was first used in combat during the Gulf War in Operation Desert Storm, where it struck heavily defended targets such as missile sites and command centers.

Since then, Tomahawk missiles have been used in several conflicts, including operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Libya, Sudan, and Yemen.

According to the US Naval Air Systems Command, a single Tomahawk missile costs about $3.64 million (around P200 million).—MCG, GMA News