Navy Scrambles To Ramp Up Tomahawk Production After Iran War Burns Through Arsenal

The US Navy is expanding Tomahawk missile production after the Iran war used an estimated third of the country’s pre-war stockpile. The effort aims to rebuild long-range strike capacity and address concerns that low production rates could leave the US less prepared for a future conflict.

A seven-year, $22.9 billion contract awarded to Raytheon in August is intended to raise annual output above 1,000 missiles; the US bought an average of 86 a year over the previous decade. At China Lake, California, engineers have filled seven initial warheads for inspection, and a new mixer expected around June 2027 is designed to increase capacity. Tomahawks can strike targets about 1,000 miles away, while the Navy facility’s expansion follows reconstruction after earthquakes damaged explosives-processing buildings in 2019.