BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 17. The US Navy has awarded weapons manufacturer RTX a $22.9 billion contract to significantly increase production of Tomahawk cruise missiles amid growing scrutiny over depleted US munitions stocks.
The seven-year contract will allow RTX, formerly known as Raytheon, to expand annual Tomahawk production to more than 1,000 missiles, compared with about 60 currently, according to the company.
The move comes after US media reports indicated that American forces have substantially reduced stocks of several key weapons during the war between the United States and Israel and Iran, including long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles.
“We called on industry to rapidly scale up munitions output, and RTX is delivering,” Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao said in a post on X.
Tomahawk missiles are long-range, precision-guided cruise missiles designed to strike targets from considerable distances. They are primarily launched from US Navy ships and submarines and form an important component of Washington’s long-range strike capabilities.
The new contract represents a major expansion of production capacity and reflects the Pentagon’s broader effort to replenish weapons reserves after months of intensive military operations.
The scale-up would increase annual production more than sixteenfold from the current level, potentially allowing the US military to rebuild its stockpiles significantly faster.
The contract also highlights the growing pressure on the US defence industry to expand manufacturing capacity as Washington seeks to maintain sufficient reserves while continuing to support ongoing military operations.
