U.S. Navy photo

USS Stethemlaunches a Tomahawk cruise missile from its vertical launch system as part of the Tactical Tomahawk Weapons Control System (TTWCS) technical evaluation. The test is being conducted at the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) western test range complex off the coast of California. TTWCS is the next generation cruise missile weapons control system scheduled for introduction to the fleet in 2003. It can be reprogrammed in flight and can loiter over a target area for some hours, sending images back to the on-scene commander.