The Navy has released the first photos from Operation Epic Fury, showing the various actions taken so far, specifically the RGM-109 Tomahawk land attack missile (TLAM) launched from it Arleigh Burke class destroyer. One image in particular caught our attention. It comes in a glossy black TLAM that’s unlike anything we’ve seen before.
To date, we have never seen a black tomahawk. Today, missiles typically come in the same matte gray hue we see on just about everything in the U.S. Navy. All other launching TLAMs shown appear to be drawn according to this standard scheme, so what we see does look new.
Other images and videos from the attack show TLAM in a standard gray color. (U.S. Navy)
The TLAM’s dark color matches that of another missile in the U.S. Navy’s inventory, the stealthy AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM). Rather than sporting a flat gray hue like its land-attack cousin, the AGM-158 JASSM, at least some of these advanced cruise missiles feature a glossy black coating. This appears to be the case for early test models and at least some operational models. Our best guess is that a very similar coating is now being applied to the latest TLAMs on the Navy production line.
Long-range anti-ship missile undergoing flight testing. (U.S. Navy)
Long-range anti-ship missile seen before test flight. (U.S. Navy)
As for why black is the new gray, we expect it to be a low-visibility coating designed to improve the weapon’s survivability, especially against maritime targets. It would also make the missile harder to detect as it passes low over the water. Having radar absorbing and infrared suppressing properties can also be a major benefit. This is especially true for TLAM, which has been around for decades and is constantly being improved to stay relevant and effective. These include adding imperceptible features such as a chin crease on its nose section that reduces its radar cross-section from the critical front. It’s also worth noting that the small V-shaped gray portion of the black TLAM is the entry door, which retracts once the missile reaches sustained velocity shortly after launch.
The Block V TLAM has a “chin” nose cone. (U.S. Navy)
This new coating appears to be part of the latest Maritime Strike Tomahawk upgrade, also known as MST, which has long-range anti-ship capabilities.
The Maritime Strike Tomahawk (MST) is a sub-variant of the latest Block V variant of the Tactical Tomahawk (TACOM), also known as Block Va. While Block IV TACOM has demonstrated anti-ship capabilities, the MST has additional capabilities to optimize it for this role. The most notable of these is a new multi-mode guidance system, which reportedly includes an imaging infrared seeker. All Block V Tomahawks are also equipped with a two-way data link, allowing them to receive course corrections and other targeting updates during flight and be completely re-tasked.
An unclassified set of briefing slides released by the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) last year further provided evidence that the Black Tomahawk was an MST. One of the slides mentioned the MST and was accompanied by a very low-resolution image showing a dark-colored missile.
An unclassified Naval Aviation briefing slide outlining the different elements of the Tomahawk weapons system program, including the MST variant. U.S. Navy
A closer look at the image used to illustrate the MST portion of the 2025 briefing slide, showing a distinctly dark missile. U.S. Navy
It’s unclear when the first MSTs will be delivered, but unless this coating was applied to past missile variants, this could be the first time we see these new Tomahawk variants in service.
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We’ve also seen videos showing what appears to be a TLAM with forward-swept wings. If these are indeed TLAMs, this could be another measure to reduce the missile’s radar cross-section and make it more survivable and therefore battlefield relevant. It is also possible that this is an as-yet-unidentified Israeli long-range cruise missile, although this seems less likely. Nonetheless, Israel does possess nuclear-armed Popeye turbine cruise missiles, which it uses as a second-strike deterrent for its diesel-electric submarines. This may be the regular version of the weapon.
Contact the author: Tyler@twz.com
