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From: cga66@ihlpy.att.com (Patrick V Kauffold)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: TLAM programming
Keywords: TLAM mapping tomahawk
Message-ID: <1991Feb5.044014.6696@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 5 Feb 91 04:40:14 GMT
Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker)
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 28
Approved: military@att.att.com



From: cga66@ihlpy.att.com (Patrick V Kauffold)
According to ABC news this AM, there are two locations which 
do the programming of the TLAM; one in Newport, VA, and one
in Honolulu.  It takes a couple of days to make up a program
when mapping data is available; the finished product is put
on a floppy and then sent to the platform (security reasons?).
Physical delivery takes at least a day.  Then the FTs (or 
whatever they call them now) on the ships load the program
in the TLAM.

Manufacturer is claiming "90% accuracy", whatever that means.

If the mapping data is not available (say, for the Iraqi A/C
parked in Iran), then it might take 1 to 2 weeks to accumulate
the mapping data needed to make the flight program.

Comment:  I was surprised at the floppy disk story; I would 
think it at least possible to transmit program data via
secure telecommunications links - land lines, satellite, etc.
Integrity of the data end-to-end should not be a problem. It
could simply be that the floppy is one means available, 
suitable in peacetime.

It does sound reasonable that TLAM would be "loadable" in 
the theater of operations, but that you would not expect each
platform to have capability of creating new programs.