Pentagon awards Raytheon $22.9B Tomahawk contract as Iran war strains missile inventories

The Pentagon on Monday awarded Raytheon a $22.9 billion contract for Tomahawk cruise missiles, moving to restock a cornerstone of U.S. long-range strike power as the war with Iran intensifies scrutiny of American munitions inventories.

Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao said the contract will "accelerate Tomahawk missile delivery to our warfighters at unprecedented speed." He added: "Guaranteeing our naval and joint forces have the lethal firepower they need to deter aggression and protect the homeland is paramount. The Department is utilizing every available tool to meet the demands of our current operations."

No updated Tomahawk stockpile figures accompanied the announcement, but the broader strain on U.S. missile supplies has become a central issue in Washington. The Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated last month that U.S. stocks of Patriot and THAAD interceptors have been roughly halved or more since the conflict with Iran began in late February. The United States entered the war with more than 2,300 Patriot interceptors and more than 450 THAAD interceptors, according to the think tank.

The Washington Post reported this month that President Donald Trump demanded answers from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at a cabinet meeting about munitions shortages. Trump and Hegseth later denied that the United States is facing dwindling missile stocks, but the scale of the Raytheon deal signals that the Pentagon wants to rebuild its arsenal even as it sustains current operations.

Tomahawks, launched mainly from submarines and surface warships, can travel more than 1,600 kilometers, or about 1,000 miles. The contract is likely to be watched closely by U.S. allies and adversaries alike as a gauge of American staying power in the Iran conflict.