Shipbucket

This has plagued me for too long! I've been trying to find the dimensions and weight of the MK 143 (or MK 44 I've seen) Armored Box Launcher (Tomahawk launchers on the Iowa and other ships). The Internet has presented nothing and I know that SB exaggerates the scale of weapons to show the detail so I can't reliably use this. Based on a photo I have of myself next to one and Belkaland's guess on length, I estimate them to be 22 ft long, 7 ft high, 6 ft wide. If anyone has guaranteed, accurate numbers for dimensions and weight, please share them. I've searched high and low on Google and found squat. I'm determined to find out (if I don't by the next time I go to Norfolk I've visiting the Wisconsin with a tape measure). So any help would be helpful, thanks!

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The Empire of Layarteb

My body of reference has nothing on the matter. At least, nothing definitely better than you've already figured. Presumably partially due to the heavy nuclear role attached to ABL, I've never found a great deal of information on the GMLS. Whatever you find out, I'd love to hear it. I'll keep looking.

Guys!!!!

Thanks to someone with access to Jane's references guides I have this information (FINALLY):

Mk 44 (formerly Mk 143) armored box launchers weigh 26 tonnes and are 7.06 m long and 2.13 m wide and 2.03 m high...

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The Empire of Layarteb

What little I know may be of only marginal help and this is third-hand information, but maybe it could be useful:


the origin of the ABL lies specifically with the reactivation of the Iowa-class battleship. Originally, it was intended for the BGM-109 to have "Soviet-style" fixed box launchers in unarmored or semi-armored launch housings, similar to as depicted on the CGSN or similar to the type of box-launcher housing used for Exocet for for Soviet-style missiles (hence why I call them "Soviet-style"). When it was decided to install BGM-109 on the Iowa, it was decided that a fully armored launcher was desirable, the rational supposedly being to enhance the survivability of the launchers themselves since Iowa's armor would (theoretically) make it last longer in a fight...or something. Either way the thinking is/was frankly convoluted. Either way, and consequently, the launchers were made to be retractable into armored housings.

From that moment on, in the interest of standardization, this launcher was also installed on CGN-42 Virginia, CGN-9 Long Beach and D-994 Spurance class destroyers until superceded by Mk 41 VLS.

Yeah it's a good, compact launching system and its dimensions were impossible to find on the Internet. I was lucky in that someone with access to Jane's got me the information.

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The Empire of Layarteb

Thanks for the updated, Layarteb. Good to know.