Tercom

…flight by a technique called Tercom (terrain contour matching), using contour maps stored in the system’s computerized memory. The air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) had a length of 6.3 m (20.7 feet); it attained a range of 2,500 km (1,500 miles). It was designed for deployment on the B-52 bomber. The…

…uses inertial and terrain-contour-matching (TERCOM) radar guidance, in which a map stored on the missile’s computer is continually compared with the actual terrain to locate the missile’s position relative to the target. Similarly, the target is identified from a stored image. As the TERCOM scans the landscape, the Tomahawk…

…important, terrain contour mapping, or Tercom, techniques, derived from the earlier Atran, offered excellent en route and terminal-area accuracy.