This is off by an order of magnitude or more. The Tomahawk (also known as the TLAM) is a VERY long range missile indeed. (see this US Navy fact sheet). Also, the TLAM cannot be carried by ANY airborne platform. It is exclusively launched by US Navy surface ships as well as US and UK submarines.
The B-52 carries the CALCM which is quite similar to the tomahawk, but not identical.
To respond to OP - Neither sidewinders (an air to air missile) nor Tomahawks (a ship launched missile) are going to be fired by any aircraft for ground attack – not even by a B-52. But loading a B-52 to the gills with all other manner of things that go BOOM is pretty much the purpose of having B-52s.
My recollection is that the B-1 bomber was also capable of using cruise missiles. I don’t know about the stealth B-2
I read an article on the net somewhere in the last week about how the U.S. military has finally perfected a helmet aiming device, so that you do not have to maneuver the airplane to be on target, but look, get the target in your helmet site and press a button. Then a new super maneuverable rocket (which was the real hold up in the program) hits it. So dogfighting skills will probably be reduced in importance and speed will become more important. This fits with the F-22 program, which is still rather maneuverable for such a big plane.
The problem wasn’t really with the helmet aiming system before - the one they use for the Apache is pretty effective - but missile guidance wasn’t as smart as it is now.
With the current situation, the seekers on the missiles look for targets - you want to move the plane so that the missiles on your pylons can lock on to their target. Your cockpit computer will tell you when they are, and you can then fire.
With an off-center helmet type firing system, you don’t fire with a “lock”, you tell your missile to go 40 degrees that way, and hope it locks on to something. Less reliable if the missile’s guidance system isn’t too powerful or smart.
That, and in most cases, facing your target when you fire creates a faster time to target, better trajectory, etc.
You still need to be within the missile’s envelope to use it, though the helmet mounted sight is a big advantage.
Last I heard, the US military still hadn’t fully funded them, thinking the longer range AIM-120 would keep them out of closer-in situations where such a system would be of greatest use. I do hope this has changed.
Russia has had such a system operational for some years.
Not that is related, but I have to throw this in because I find it so incredible. Current B-52’s were built from the early 1950’s - early 1960’s. They currently have an average age of 40 years old. However, they are not scheduled to be retired until 2040. This means that the aircraft will be between 80 and 90 years old at retirement. :eek: This airplane has been so successful in design that no one has been able to come up with a superior replacement for it.
“The limiting factor of the B-52’s service life is the economic limit of the aircraft’s upper wing surface, calculated to be approximately 32,500 to 37,500 flight hours. Based on the projected economic service life and forecast mishap rates, the Air Force will be unable to maintain the requirement of 62 aircraft by 2044, after 84 years in service”
