U.S. Navy Seeks Bunker Strike Capability With Tomahawk Block Vb Cruise Missile Warhead Production.

The U.S. Navy is advancing the Tomahawk Block Vb cruise missile toward production with a new JMEWS warhead designed to penetrate hardened bunkers and underground military facilities from long range. The capability would enable American destroyers and submarines to strike protected military infrastructure without approaching heavily defended coastlines, expanding their conventional land-attack options against fortified targets.

The U.S. Navy is preparing to introduce the Joint Multiple Effects Warhead System (JMEWS) on its Tomahawk Block Vb cruise missile, extending the range of protected military targets that American naval forces could engage. Designed to penetrate hardened bunkers and underground facilities, the new warhead would provide destroyers and submarines with an additional long-range strike capability against fortified command centers and missile installations. Its planned production comes as potential adversaries increasingly rely on hardened infrastructure to protect critical military assets.

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A U.S. Navy Tomahawk cruise missile is launched during a military exercise in 2018, as the Navy prepares to introduce a new bunker-penetrating warhead for the Block Vb variant. (Picture source: U.S. Navy)

According to a procurement notice published by Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) on October 7, 2026, the U.S. Navy intends to negotiate a sole-source contract with Raytheon, a subsidiary of RTX, for low-rate initial production of the JMEWS warhead. The planned agreement would move the program beyond its engineering and manufacturing development phase, bringing the Block Vb configuration closer to operational deployment. No contract value, production quantity, or delivery schedule has been announced, and the agreement has not yet been awarded.

The Navy's Tactical Tomahawk program office, based at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland, identifies Raytheon as the only known manufacturer capable of meeting the requirement within the expected timeframe. The company retains the technical configuration and manufacturing data developed through its long involvement with the Tomahawk program. Although other contractors can submit capability statements until October 22, the Navy does not currently plan a competitive procurement process.

The main development concern is the JMEWS warhead, which combines penetration and blast-fragmentation effects through a two-stage design. Unlike conventional unitary explosive warheads, which primarily rely on blast and fragmentation to damage exposed structures, JMEWS is intended to penetrate reinforced protective barriers before delivering destructive effects inside the target. This arrangement could improve the effectiveness of Tomahawk strikes against hardened aircraft shelters, underground command facilities, reinforced missile installations and other protected military structures. The precise penetration depth and destructive performance of the new warhead have not been publicly disclosed.

The Tomahawk Block V family retains a long-range strike capability of approximately 1,600 kilometers, although the specific performance of the Block Vb configuration has not been publicly confirmed. The missile uses a turbofan engine to sustain subsonic flight and combines inertial navigation, GPS, terrain contour matching, and digital scene matching for precise navigation toward designated targets. Low-altitude flight profiles allow it to follow routes intended to reduce exposure to hostile radar coverage. These characteristics make Tomahawk particularly suited to strikes against targets located deep inside defended territory.

The Block Vb forms part of a broader modernization effort intended to extend the service life and operational versatility of existing Tomahawk missiles. The Navy received its first Block V missile in March 2021, introducing upgraded navigation and communications systems. Two specialized configurations are being developed: the Block Va Maritime Strike Tomahawk, equipped with a seeker for engaging moving ships, and the Block Vb, intended to defeat hardened land targets. Both developments expand the range of missions available to naval forces using the Tomahawk weapon system.

The warhead has undergone several years of development and testing, including work supported by a previous $90.4 million Raytheon contract. Pentagon testing reports confirm that the Navy conducted live-fire evaluations to assess JMEWS lethality against hardened targets, although its final effectiveness has not been publicly established. The Navy's fiscal year 2027 budget request also includes funding for 35 recertified Block Vb missiles and associated JMEWS upgrade kits, providing an indication of the quantities being considered during the initial introduction of this capability.

From an operational perspective, the Block Vb could allow U.S. naval forces to attack certain hardened targets during the opening stages of a military campaign. Arleigh Burke-class destroyers equipped with Mk 41 vertical launch systems and Tomahawk-capable submarines could conduct such strikes from considerable distances, reducing the need to expose combat aircraft directly to hostile air defenses. However, the smaller penetrating warhead carried by a cruise missile would not necessarily match the performance of specialized heavy bunker-busting bombs against deeply buried facilities. Successful engagements would still require accurate intelligence on target construction and location, together with the ability to penetrate increasingly sophisticated air defense networks.

The planned introduction of JMEWS also reflects the growing strategic importance of hardened military infrastructure. China, Russia and Iran maintain protected command facilities, underground missile installations and reinforced military sites intended to preserve critical capabilities during air and missile attacks. A penetrating Tomahawk warhead could complicate these defensive measures by expanding the categories of targets accessible to U.S. surface ships and submarines. For Washington and its allies, the Block Vb would provide an additional conventional strike option against fortified infrastructure, although its eventual contribution to deterrence will depend on demonstrated performance, production capacity and the number of missiles entering operational service.

Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Erwan Halna du Fretay holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience studying conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests include security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.

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