U.S. Navy's USS Spruance destroyer fires new Maritime Strike Tomahawk missile in Epic Fury Operation.

On February 28, 2026, the US Navy destroyer USS Spruance launched several Tomahawk cruise missiles during Operation Epic Fury with imagery indicating the use of the Block Va Maritime Strike variant.

On February 28, 2026, the U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) launched Tomahawk cruise missiles in support of Operation Epic Fury. Imagery released by NAVCENT about this operation showed at least one Tomahawk missile in a black coating consistent with the Block Va Maritime Strike Tomahawk variant. This missile, which retains a range of about 1,000 miles, integrates upgraded navigation, communications, and a maritime seeker to engage moving naval targets and restore the U.S. Navy's long-range anti-ship capability.
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The Maritime Strike Tomahawk (MST) restores a long-range anti-ship capability that had been absent since the retirement of the earlier RGM/UGM-109B Tomahawk Anti-Ship Missile in the 1990s. (Picture source: NAVCENT)

On February 28, 2026, the U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) launched several Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAMs) in support of Operation Epic Fury, a joint US-Israeli military operation targeting Iran’s air defense systems, ballistic missile launchers, and command-and-control facilities across multiple sites. Imagery shared by the NAVCENT Public Affairs showed at least one Tomahawk finished in a glossy black coating rather than the standard gray paint traditionally used for Tomahawk missiles. This new coating appears to be part of the upgrades included on the Tomahawk Block Va variant, also known as the Maritime Strike Tomahawk (MST), which has a long-range anti-ship function, while matching an unclassified Naval Air Systems Command briefing slide showing a distinctly dark-colored missile image under the MST section.

The Maritime Strike Tomahawk, formally designated Block Va, is an anti-surface warfare variant within the Block V family of the Tomahawk cruise missile program. Block V consists of three principal configurations: the baseline Block V navigation and communications upgrade, Block Va Maritime Strike Tomahawk, and Block Vb equipped with the Joint Multiple Effects Warhead System. The MST restores a long-range anti-ship capability that had been absent since the retirement of the earlier RGM/UGM-109B Tomahawk Anti-Ship Missile in the 1990s. Its mission profile centers on engaging moving naval surface targets at sea, expanding the Tomahawk family beyond its established land-attack role in service since 1983. The Block Va configuration is designed for launch from surface combatants using the Mark 41 Vertical Launching System and from submarines via torpedo tubes or capsule launch systems, maintaining compatibility with existing fleet infrastructure.

The Maritime Strike Tomahawk (MST), as a Block Va variant of the Tomahawk family, retains a strike range of about 1,000 miles (1,600 km), and operates at subsonic speed near Mach 0.74 with guidance combining GPS/Inertial navigation, two-way data link updates, and a maritime seeker. In contrast, the AGM-158C LRASM, fielded since 2018, uses GPS, inertial navigation, and imaging infrared sensors with a weapon datalink and passive RF guidance for effective ranges around 500 km while being integrated on the F/A-18E/F jet, while Norway’s Naval Strike Missile (NSM) integrates an imaging infrared seeker for ship-to-ship strikes at ranges of nearly 300 km.

The Indo-Russian BrahMos, for its part, operates at supersonic speeds near Mach 2.8 to 3.5 with a maximum range of about 650 km and carries a warhead in the 200 kg class, representing significantly higher speed but shorter range than Tomahawk missiles. China’s YJ-18 anti-ship missile, for its part, combines cruise at subsonic speeds with a terminal sprint at Mach 2.5–3.0 and an estimated range band of 220 to 540 km with active radar homing guidance. Finally, Russia’s Kalibr anti-ship configurations incorporate subsonic cruise phases with a supersonic terminal option and varied range depending on export and domestic versions, often in the high hundreds of kilometers to over 1,000 km, with active radar guidance in anti-ship roles.

The Tomahawk cruise missile is a long-range, subsonic, all-weather weapon powered by a turbofan engine and boosted at launch by a solid-fuel rocket motor. Maximum speed is near Mach 0.74, or about 570 mph, with cruise flight typically conducted at altitudes between 98 and 164 ft above ground level. Dimensions include a length of 20.3 ft with booster, a diameter of 21 inches, a wingspan of 8 ft 6 in, and a launch weight of 3,330 lbs with rocket motor. Operational range varies by variant: Block IV reaches 864 nautical miles, 994 miles, 1,600 km, while Block Vb exceeds 900 nautical miles with exact figures classified, and public references commonly cite performance up to 1,000 miles, or 1,600 km. Guidance integrates GPS, Inertial Navigation System, Terrain Contour Matching, Digital Scene Matching Area Correlation, and, in earlier anti-ship variants, active radar homing. Unit costs have evolved from $3.1M in FY1986 to $1.87M in FY2017 for Block IV and $2.5M in FY2026 for Block V, with export costs referenced at $4M in FY2023.

Block V modernization converts existing Block IV Tactical Tomahawks into updated configurations while also supporting new production missiles. The program extends service life by 15 years through depot-level recertification and integrates upgraded navigation and communications architecture, including anti-jam GPS Military Code receivers. The Maritime Strike Tomahawk adds a seeker kit enabling engagement of moving maritime targets through mid-course guidance provided by third-party sensors or onboard seeker mode, transitioning to terminal guidance within a defined area of uncertainty. Early Operational Capability for MST with the US Navy surface fleet was achieved in the fourth quarter of Fiscal Year 2025, with Initial Operational Capability planned for Fiscal Year 2027 and full-rate production decisions expected by Fiscal Year 2029. Procurement plans include upgrading up to 3,992 Block IV missiles to Block V standard, with specific annual allocations for baseline, Maritime Strike, and Joint Multiple Effects Warhead System kits.

Production and industrial activity surrounding Block V have expanded in parallel with operational integration. On February 4, 2026, RTX announced an agreement with the US Department of Defense to increase Tomahawk production to over 1,000 units per year under a seven-year arrangement, representing a substantial increase compared with prior annual output levels. A $401.2M full-rate production contract covered 131 Block V missiles for US service branches, Australia, and Japan, with completion scheduled by March 2028, while a $380.8M contract modification in January 2026 addressed modernization and recertification of Lot Five and Lot Six missiles with completion expected by April 2029. Additional awards have covered seeker production and Maritime Strike upgrade kits, including dozens of kits procured in support of converting Block IV missiles into Block Va configuration. Work distribution includes major activity in Tucson, Arizona, and Boulder, Colorado, reflecting the established industrial base for Tomahawk production and recertification.

Operationally, the Maritime Strike Tomahawk has been integrated on Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers and is scheduled for deployment on attack submarines in Fiscal Year 2026. The missile leverages existing vertical launch cells and torpedo tube launch methods without requiring new launcher designs, preserving compatibility across the fleet. The broader Tomahawk inventory has been employed in combat since 1991, with more than 2,300 missiles fired in operations including the Gulf War, Iraq in 2003, Libya in 2011, Syria in 2017 and 2018, and Yemen in 2024 and 2025. On January 11, 2024, more than 80 Tomahawks were launched against Houthi targets in Yemen, with cumulative strikes reaching 135 missiles by July 24, 2024.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.