WASHINGTON — In unleashing a barrage of cruise missiles, the U.S. military on Thursday turned once again to a weapon that, despite limited punch, has become a favorite of Pentagon planners for its speed, stealth and low risk.
The Tomahawk cruise missile, at a price tag of $1.2 million each, can be programmed to hit targets 1,000 miles away without jeopardizing the safety of pilots or aircraft.
"With the Tomahawks, there's no risk," said Army Col. Richard Dunn, who recently retired as a top aide to the Army chief of staff.
The missiles carry the other advantage of conveying to terrorists abroad that they are not beyond the reach of U.S. retribution--even in the craggy reaches of Afghanistan.
In the simultaneous attacks on the terrorist facilities linked to Saudi militant Osama bin Laden, the Navy fired dozens of Tomahawks from five ships in the Arabian Sea at reported terrorist camps in eastern Afghanistan. A handful more were launched at an alleged chemical weapons plant in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, from two ships in the Red Sea.
The missiles also can be used without tipping off the adversary in advance.
"The primary motivator here was maintaining operational secrecy," said National Security Director Samuel R. "Sandy" Berger.
Had the military opted to deploy the Navy's F-18 fighter-bombers, the aircraft would have needed refueling to reach Afghanistan. But the targets were within the cruise missiles' range, because the training camps are about 500 miles from the Arabian Sea and Khartoum is 400 miles from the Red Sea.
These advantages have made the Tomahawk a favorite of the Clinton administration, as with the Bush administration before it. They were used during the 1991 Persian Gulf War, and four times since then against Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
The twin attacks were carried out beginning at 10:30 a.m. PDT and took less than an hour, Defense Secretary William S. Cohen said. Administration officials declined at news conferences to discuss details of the bombing, but additional information was provided by Pentagon officials later in the day.
The principal drawback of the cruise missile is its limited explosive power, causing some critics to complain during the crises with Iraq that Tomahawk strikes are only "pinpricks" that wouldn't change Hussein's behavior.
But military officers and planners said the weapon may have enough power to take care of Thursday's mission--to destroy Bin Laden's weapons and training facilities.
