[Oatka]

So what happens when the Chinese knock out the GPS satellies. What is the backup navigation for these missles?

[RightWhale]

What is the backup navigation for these missles?

One who misspells missile has no need to know.

[bill1952]

Whatever it is would have to be damn accurate, given the warhead.

[george76]

If this is the reason : counter any emerging threat from China ?

Not sure.

If the Chinese take out our satellites, then we all have big problems.

[Dr.Zoidberg]

What is the backup navigation for these missles?

Ultra accurate gyroscopes combined with terrain following radar and a power computer.

It might not be able to circumcise a gnat, but I'd wager when they are through, there won't be any foreskin left on said gnat.

[AFreeBird]

So what happens when the Chinese knock out the GPS satellies. What is the backup navigation for these missles?

One word: CLASSIFIED!

[OCC]

If the Chi-Coms knock out our GPS system, The Tomahawk has other guidance systems.

TERCOM - Terrain Contour Matching. An in-flight altimeter measures the height from the TLAM to the ground and the missile will check to see if it is in the right spot from the height. It will make corrections if it does match the prestored height

DSMAC - Digital Scene Matching Area Correlation. A small image is taken of the flight path and downloaded into the TLAM before it is launched. During the flight the missile will verify that the images that it has stored correlates with the image it sees below itself. If the pictures do not match it will correct itself and then finish its mission.

Of course if GPS is knocked out, I think less accurate ICBM's would already be on the way!

[DesScorp]

“So what happens when the Chinese knock out the GPS satellies. What is the backup navigation for these missles?”

Back in the Day (70’s/early 80’s), tomahawks had maps programmed into each missle. Maybe that’s the back up plan.

[Squantos]

Launch backup GPS, Communication and Intelligence payloads from Boomers and land-based missile silos in the CONUS already in place would be my SWAG ......:o)

[KoRn]

"What is the backup navigation for these missles?"

[Travis McGee]

The GPS sats are more than 12,000 miles out into space, and I believe they are very well hardened against laser attack.

[Mariner]

Inertial, magnetic and optical.

[GAB-1955]

Inertial guidance.