“warhead larger than 500km.”
That’s a pretty large warhead!
I think the term cruise missile has evolved.
Wikipedia:A cruise missile is a guided missile that carries an explosive payload and uses a lifting wing and a propulsion system, usually a jet engine, to allow sustained flight; it is essentially a flying bomb. Cruise missiles are generally designed to carry a large conventional or nuclear warhead many hundreds of miles with high accuracy.
A Harpoon missile with this liberal definition could be defined as a cruise missile.
My point on the Tomahawk is that it is more formidable weapon. It’s hard to detect has a larger operating footprint larger warhead. Larger than 500km!
Anyway this weapon would be flying into a barrage of probably depleted uranium rounds.
http://www.raytheon.com/capabilities/products/phalanx/
http://www.raytheon.com/capabilities/rtnwcm/groups/rms/documents/content/rtn_rms_ps_phalanx_datasheet.pdf
video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1Bp9Rit4wc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cP6GpAnmAPU&feature=related
Oops,sorry that should be less than 500kg!!!!
Anyway, a weapon like the Harpoon (or its derivative,the SLAM-ER) would satisfy most nations which don’t have the requirements of the US military ie, long-range, multiple guidance modes for pin-point accuracy etc.
About the Brahmos, sure a Phalanx or a RAM may get it-but the question is whether it will be shot down far enough to avoid warhead debris hitting the ship.