AN/SWG-3A TOMAHAWK Weapon Control System(TWCS)
The MK 37 TOMAHAWK Weapon System (TWS) supports the Navy mission of sea control and projection of power with a long range, low altitude attack of land targets with a conventional warhead land strike capability. The TWS provides the capability to attack inland targets in areas where the United States may or may not have sea or air control. The TWS is composed of the following components: All-Up-Round (AUR), Vertical Launch System (VLS), launch platform, Theater Mission Planning Center (TMPC), and the AN/SWG-3A TOMAHAWK Weapon Control System (TWCS).
The TOMAHAWK Weapon Control System (TWCS) is the element of the surface ship weapon system which prepares and launches the TOMAHAWK cruise missile. The TWCS must be interoperable with communications, navigation, and other weapon systems. The TWCS has undergone testing beginning with OPEVAL of the original surface TWCS conducted from December 1983 to March 1985 at the Pacific Missile Test Center (PMTC), Pt. Mugu, CA, on board a SPRUANCE class destroyer using fleet operators and maintenance
personnel. Ship armored box launched (ABL) variants of TLAM/C, TLAM/N, and TASM were tested. OPEVAL of the surface vertical launch system (VLS) TWCS was conducted from November 1985 to February 1986 at PMTC using fleet operators and maintenance personnel. Ship vertical-launched variants of TLAM/C, TLAM/N, and TASM were tested. The Blk II TWCS, and its interface to the AEGIS Weapon System, was tested on board USS ARLEIGH BURKE in February 1992. One missile test firing was used to determine the system was operationally
effective and operationally suitable, and the system was recommended for full fleet introduction. The Blk III Upgrade was tested in April of 1993 with further BLK III Enhancements tested in USS GETTYSBURG in December of 1993. The TWCS BLK III with enhancements (Post Blk III) was determined to be operationally effective and operationally suitable, with full fleet introduction recommended. The TWCS Post Blk
III is the current software used by the surface fleet.
TWCS has performed well in support of the weapon of choice. However, faced with new requirements, limits, technology, and expectations, TWCS has reached its technical limits and so the Advanced TOMAHAWK Weapon Control System (ATWCS) is being developed to replace the TWCS. The ATWCS provides all the functional capabilities of the Block III TWCS rebaselined in new hardware, new computer software, and new architecture, maintaining current capabilities while providing ease of growth. The ATWCS will enable shipboard operators to generate and maintain a surface track data base in a given theater of operations, to coordinate strike activities both on own-ship and between own-ship and other ships in a battle group, to plan TOMAHAWK engagements, and to initialize, launch TOMAHAWK missiles. The ATWCS rebaseline is divided into two phases; Phase I is the Track Control Group Replacement (TCGR) and Phase II is the Launch Control Group Replacement (LCGR).
Submarine fire control systems have gone through a similar evolution. Current versions of software in use include the CCS MK 1 Mod 3 using software C4.2, which was tested in December 1990, and determined to be operationally effective and operationally suitable, and recommended for full fleet introduction. The TWCS with BSY 1 Combat Control/Acoustic System with software C4.2 (Rev 1) was tested in May 1994, and was determined to be operationally effective and operationally suitable, with fleet release recommended. Recently, the submarine fire control system CCS MK 2 PROGRAM D0 was tested on board USS CHARLOTTE. This software build is intended to be the prototype for all future submarine software builds.
All current operational software, both surface and subsurface, undergo routine evaluations
through the OTL program.
Sources and Resources
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/weaps/twcs.htm
Maintained by Robert Sherman
Originally created by John Pike
Updated Friday, November 26, 1999 1:42:09 PM