Tomahawk turns ships and submarines into long-range strike platforms

Tomahawk became the benchmark against which other cruise missiles are commonly described, even though it is not automatically the best weapon for every mission. Cruise missiles can give surface ships a carrier-like land-attack reach, extend the radius of strike aircraft, and let submarines launch from much closer to a coast than a surface task group could safely approach. Their long range also separates the firing platform from the place where defenders first detect or trace the weapon. The right comparison still depends on target, opponent, operating method, and the defenses the missile must cross.