| “ | This vehicle carries a Tomahawk ground-to-ground missile. Battle or Scout Drone upgrades are available. A fantastic support weapon, the Tomahawk Missile Launcher can bombard targets from long range. - Generals manual(src) |
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The Tomahawk launcher was an American artillery vehicle fielded during the GLA Conflict.
Background[]
| “ | Cruise missiles ready. - Tomahawk |
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Using a Crusader tank chassis coupled with advanced US missile design, it traveled only slightly slower than a tank, firing single Tomahawk missiles, and had a short reload time. Although used primarily against structures as a siege weapon, the missile was also quite capable of locking onto a moving target, and could be effective against tanks and infantry under the right circumstances. The chassis also enabled optional drone support. Though the Tomahawk launcher was developed for USA forces, Chinese General Leang also had access to it.
Game unit[]
Tactics[]
| “ | Preparing launch cycle. - Tomahawk Launcher preparing to fire on the enemy. |
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The Tomahawk launcher was useful for breaching enemy defenses and pounding buildings from a distance. Thinly armored, it required protection at all times, but the missile itself was heavily armored and could withstand considerable damage from anti-air attacks. The Tomahawk could also be used to support armor by firing on enemy tanks from a distance while combat vehicles fought on the front lines, as its missiles continue . Its exceptionally long range also made for an excellent counter-siege weapon, augmenting fixed base defenses. In addition, the missile had a small but significant area blast. If the conditions were desperate enough, the Tomahawk launcher could also be used as an anti-air weapon by launching a missile at aircraft while taking off. The Tomahawk launcher had the greatest range of all land-based siege weapons employed in the conflict. With its missiles' homing ability, it gave the USA a huge advantage on the battlefield.
Counters[]
| “ | Tomahawk missiles online. - Tomahawk |
” |
The Tomahawk launcher had very weak armor, vulnerable to almost everything, and it had no protection at all against aircraft. Its missiles can also be destroyed mid-air by enemy Stinger Sites, Avengers and Gattling Cannons.
As with all artillery units used in the GLA conflict, it was unable to fire upon targets at close range, so if a unit such as a Battlemaster managed to get within its minimum range, the launcher would be unable to retaliate and quickly be reduced to scrap metal unless escorts manage to take the heat and destroy the attackers in time. The homing and fire-on-the-move capabilities could reduce these threats (though the launcher had to stop to actually fire), and the Hellfire drone can provide some limited short-range protection. Any armor-neutralizing tactic (including Chinese Neutron shells and the GLA Hijacker) could be used effectively against it.
Upgrades[]
Drones[]
Drone upgrades are individual to each launcher unit.
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The Scout Drone fed battlefield information to the vehicle crew, increasing their sight range and revealing nearby stealthed units. Costs $100.
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The Battle Drone was armed with a small machine gun to defeat enemy infantry, and could also repair its parent vehicle. Costs $300.
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The Hellfire Drone, available in Zero Hour, fired a small but surprisingly powerful missile against enemy ground units. Costs $500.
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Important note: Drones can be further upgraded with Drone Armour.
Structure-specific[]
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Allowed Tomahawk launcher, along with all other USA units, to gain veteran status twice as fast. Purchasable at any Strategy Center for $1500.
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Changelog[]
- Zero Hour patch 1.03: now drops salvage crates when destroyed by GLA.
Selected Quotes[]
| “ | Long range ballistics - When selected |
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| “ | Tomahawk systems online - When selected |
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| “ | Cruise missiles ready - When selected |
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| “ | Standing by for coordinates - When selected |
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| “ | Missile guidance set - When selected |
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| “ | Tomahawk launcher, armed and ready - When selected |
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| “ | Updating grid location - When moving |
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| “ | We can launch from there - When moving |
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| “ | Transporting cruise missile - When moving |
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| “ | Coordinates recieved - When moving |
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| “ | Warheads in the field - When moving |
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| “ | Instructions confirmed - When ordered to attack |
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| “ | Preparing launch cycle - When ordered to attack |
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| “ | Arming cruise missile - When ordered to attack |
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| “ | Calculating missile speed - When ordered to attack |
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| “ | Adjusting for wind current - When ordered to attack |
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| “ | Flight systems activated - When ordered to attack |
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| “ | Too close for ballistics - When ordered to run over |
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| “ | Forgo missile sequence - When ordered to run over |
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| “ | Aggressive maneuvers - When ordered to run over |
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| “ | Ordering Battle Drone - When deploy Battle Drone |
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| “ | Assembling Battle Drone - When deploy Battle Drone |
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| “ | Waypoint Targeting is Now Available - Tomahawk Unused Upgrade Quote |
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| “ | Setting Waypoint Path - Tomahawk Using Waypoint Targeting |
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| “ | Waypoint Set - Tomahawk Using Waypoint Targeting |
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Trivia[]
- Historically, the BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missile was a version of the Tomahawk missile which could be fired from ground-based launchers, similar to the Tomahawk Launcher in Generals. It is also a very expensive weapon, and would never be expended against targets such as infantry, bunkers, or even tanks in real life. In addition, the ground-based variant of the Tomahawk was retired under the terms of the (now defunct) 1987 Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, as it was meant to carry a nuclear warhead. At the time he game was released, while the treaty was in effect, Tomahawks were launched solely from ships and submarines. With the demise of the treaty, ground-launched Tomahawks are once again being purchased and deployed by the army.
- In terms of its battlefield role, the game's incarnation of the Tomahawk bears more resemblance to the US Army's GMLRS (Guided MLRS) and the Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb.
- A tracked Cruise Missile carrier that is mobile on the battlefield, as what the game has depicted about its role, may not be at all necessary due to Cruise Missiles being specially designed to reach extremely great distances as far as over 2,000 km. However, it was well demonstrated during the siege of Dr. Thrax's base of operations and toxin facilities, including General Mohmar's escape from the American offensive.
- The Tomahawk launcher's missile, like many other siege units among the Command and Conquer universes, follows an arc-like path to strike its target. However, its tracking ability sometimes meant that a course correction was needed, which usually results in a slightly awkward-looking flight path, and it can appear to fly parallel to the ground in some circumstances.
Gallery[]
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Alpha texture -
Ditto
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Concept art
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A trio of Tomahawk Launchers
See also[]
- Inferno cannon, Chinese light artillery unit
- Nuke cannon, Chinese heavy artillery unit
- Rocket buggy, GLA light "artillery" unit
- SCUD launcher, GLA heavy artillery unit
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