The US Navy disclosed visuals depicting numerous American naval vessels firing Tomahawk cruise missiles at sites in Iran, under the banner of Operation Epic Fury.
These clips feature Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers, specifically USS Milius (DDG 69), USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG 121), and USS Pinckney (DDG 91), unleashing Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles in volleys from their onboard vertical launch systems.
These assaults are components of the broader US military endeavor, subsequent to the heightened hostilities with Iran in early March. This surge came after US and Israeli strikes prompted responsive missile and drone attacks throughout the area. Since that time, US forces have conducted continuous operations, employing both air and naval assets.
The ability to launch cruise missile attacks from destroyers offers a remote engagement capability, enabling targets to be precisely hit from considerable distances while sparing manned aerial vehicles from disputed air corridors. The US Navy has not revealed the precise objectives depicted in the visuals.
Footage released by the US Navy shows multiple American warships launching Tomahawk cruise missiles against targets in Iran as part of Operation Epic Fury. pic.twitter.com/DimdJSTOPw
— UK Defence Journal (@UKDefJournal) March 28, 2026
Regarding the Munition
The BGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) represents a long-range, all-weather, subsonic cruise missile conceived in the United States for accurate terrestrial assault operations. Multiple maritime forces, including those of the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and the Netherlands, employ it. It is deployable from both surface vessels and underwater craft. This munition is engineered to hit targets from great distances while sustaining a ground-hugging trajectory to evade discovery.
In terms of its physical attributes, the Tomahawk spans slightly more than six metres in extent when its propulsion unit is affixed, and has a mass ranging from 1,300 to 1,600 kilograms based on its setup. It is propelled by a turbofan engine, assisted by a solid rocket booster during liftoff, and moves at approximately Mach 0.74. The missile usually traverses at exceptionally low elevations, between 30 and 50 metres from the terrain, to bolster resilience versus aerial protective systems.
The Tomahawk has been manufactured in numerous configurations, each with varying ordnance. Initial versions featured a nuclear warhead, presently decommissioned, while subsequent iterations bear a standard single high-impact explosive charge. A further configuration, the TLAM-D, was intended to scatter submunitions, releasing up to 166 miniature bombs across an objective zone to strike various locations within a specified impact zone.
Navigation is accomplished via an amalgamation of technologies, such as inertial navigation, GPS, Terrain Contour Matching (TERCOM), and Digital Scene Matching Area Correlation (DSMAC). These systems enable the missile to cross-reference pre-programmed geographical and visual information with live sensor input mid-flight, facilitating trajectory adjustments and precise aim across vast ranges.
Its effective reach differs per model but typically spans up to approximately 1,600 kilometres or beyond, with some contemporary configurations surpassing 900 nautical miles. The missile is deployed through vertical launch cells or torpedo launchers, offering versatility among various sea-based assets and ensuring its sustained role as a vital element of naval offensive prowess.