On Aug. 17, 2026, the U.S. Navy and RTX announced a massive contract for Tomahawk missiles. Manufactured by Raytheon, an RTX business, the Tomahawk is the Navy’s primary long-range munition… and the service is running out of them. To replenish its stockpiles, the Navy awarded Raytheon an unprecedented $22.9 billion contract.
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“Tomahawk is the Navy’s most important strike weapon, able to target hostile forces hundreds of miles away without ever risking the lives of our sailors,” Raytheon President Phil Jasper said in a press release. “We are making significant investments in our workforce, technology, supply chain and facilities to dramatically boost production capacity and meet surging demand.”
The contract follows up on a February 2026 agreement between Raytheon and the Department of War to increase Tomahawk production to over 1,000 missiles annually. This agreement also covers associated support to ensure stable, predictable Tomahawk supply to the Navy and allies.
“The Department has challenged industry to answer the call to expand munitions production and capacity, and RTX has answered,” said Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael Duffy in a Navy press release. “This contract accelerates our ability to get Warfighters what they need, ensuring they never have to face a fair fight.”
Since the start of Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. has expended over 1,000 Tomahawk missiles, with over 850 used in the first four weeks. By August 2026, nearly one-third of America’s Tomahawk stockpile was depleted.
Despite insistence by President Trump that a sufficient supply of Tomahawks and other munitions remain, the Center for Strategic and International Studies raised concerns.
“We can go against Iran for quite a long time, even if we’ve used half the inventory,” retired Marine Corps colonel and CSIS senior advisor Mark Cancian told Fox News. “The risk is about a future conflict in the Western Pacific against China.”
The Tomahawk first entered service in 1983. Since then, the Navy has used it extensively in operations from the Middle East to Yugoslavia. Capable of being fired from surface ships and submerged submarines, the Tomahawk is as flexible as it is precise. The latest Block V variant features anti-jam GPS and can utilize a multi-effects warhead to more effectively strike different land targets. An anti-ship version can also hit moving targets at sea.
Of course, none of this matters if the Navy runs out of Tomahawks.
“This landmark $22.9 billion investment accelerates the delivery of Tomahawk missiles to our warfighters at unprecedented speed,” Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao said in a Navy press release. “By working closely with industry to expand the capacity of our industrial base, the Department is utilizing every available tool to meet the demands of current operations, guaranteeing our naval and joint forces have the lethal firepower they need to deter aggression and protect the homeland.”
In FY2026, a single Block V Tomahawk costs $2.5 million. The majority of the U.S. stockpile was procured before 2020, with Block IV variants being recertified to Block V standards. This latest contract will provide both a replenishment and refresh to the U.S. Tomahawk inventory.
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