Tomahawk Cruise Missiles

The Tomahawk missile is a long-range strike weapon that can be fired from warships, including submarines, at targets more than 1600 kilometres away.

It carries a 450-kilo conventional warhead, but can be fitted with bomblet dispensers that allow smaller bombs to be showered over targets such as airfields.

The main first-strike use of Tomahawks is designed to hit heavily defended positions - usually air defences, communications sites, and key military headquarters and give the United States air superiority over hostile territory.

The missiles fly at extremely low altitudes to avoid enemy radar and have been used successfully in the 1991 Gulf War and more recently in Kosovo.

Highly accurate, the Tomahawks cost more than $1 million each.

Details:

• Engine: Williams International F107-WR-402 cruise turbo-fan engine; CSD/ARC solid-fuel booster
  
• Length: 5.56 metres, with booster: 6.25 metres.
  
• Weight: 1,315.44 kg, 1587.6 kg with booster.
  
• Diameter: 51.81 cm.
  
• Wing Span: 2.67 metres.
  
• Range: 870 nautical miles (1609 km)
  
• Speed: Subsonic 880 km/h.
  
• Guidance: Terrain Contour Matching and Digital Scene Matching Area Correlation missile guidance system with a Global Positioning Satellite guidance capability.
  
• First Deployed: 1986.
  
• Cost: $1m+ per missile

B52 Stratofortress

The B52 bomber is the ageing warhorse of the United States, but still carries a massive destructive capability.

Its long reach - over 16,000 km without refuelling - means the US can strategically bomb targets anywhere in the world.

The B52 is nuclear capable, but carries almost 30,000kg of conventional weapons. That can mean a bomb payload, or up to 20 cruise missiles - although 12 is the usual load.

It can fly well out of enemy anti-aircraft-missile range, over 15,000 metres, and at speeds of 900 kilometres per hour.

The United States has 66 B52s in its armoury.

Details:

• Engine: Eight Pratt & Whitney engines: G model - J57-P43WB turbojet; H model - TF33 turbofan.
  
• Weight: 80,000 kg (empty).
  
• Max. takeoff weight: 221,350 kg.
  
• Length: 56.39 metres.
  
• Height: 12.40 metres.
  
• Wing Span: 56.39 metres.
  
• Range: 16,093 km.
  
• Speed: High Subsonic Mach 0.9.
  
• Guidance: Terrain Contour Matching and Digital Scene Matching Area Correlation missile guidance system with a Global Positioning Satellite guidance capability.
  
• First Deployed: 1962.
  
• Ceiling: 15,000 metres.
  
• Cost: $120m+.

B2 Stealth Bombers

The B-2 Stealth bomber allows the United States to conduct, almost invisibly, strategic strike missions against high-priority targets such as air defences, communications and military command centres.

Its high price tag, $2.5 billion each, is due to the leading technologies used to give it a very low radar profile. The B2's unique shape, construction materials and a secret coating reduce infrared, acoustic, electromagnetic, visual and radar signatures.

In effect, the US can launch a high altitude attack that will not be noticed until the enemy hears or sees the first explosions.

The United States has 21 B2 bombers in its arsenal.

Details:

• Engine: Four General Electric F-118-GE-100 engines.
  
• Weight: 56,700-69,715kg
  
• Max. takeoff weight: 152,635 kg.
  
• Length: 20.9 metres.
  
• Height: 5.1 metres.
  
• Wing Span: 52.12 metres.
  
• Range: 9,500 km.
  
• Speed: High Subsonic, Mach 0.8.
  
• Payload: Nuclear capable. 18,144kg of bombs, or cruise missiles.
  
• Ceiling: 15,000 metres.
  
• Cost: $2.5 billion.
  
• First Deployed: 1988.