The Department of War announced Monday that the U.S. Navy has awarded Raytheon, an RTX business, a $22.9 billion contract to accelerate production of Tomahawk missiles, as the Pentagon moves to expand the nation’s munitions capacity and replenish critical long-range strike weapons.
The news came after President Donald Trump pushed back on concerns over the strain the Iran conflict might be placing on U.S. weapons stockpiles.
"What we’ve used is peanuts," Trump told Fox News’ Trey Yingst in an exclusive phone interview earlier Monday. "We have a lot of mid-level weapons."
The massive Tomahawk award is intended to give RTX the stability needed to expand its workforce, increase manufacturing output and strengthen supply chains while speeding deliveries of the long-range cruise missile to U.S. forces, according to the department.
"The Department called upon industry to expand munitions production, and RTX has answered that call," Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael Duffey wrote in a statement. "This Tomahawk award increases our ability to equip the Joint Force, ensuring our Warfighters never face a fair fight."
Pentagon officials have increasingly focused on expanding the U.S. defense industrial base and shortening the time required to produce key weapons as military operations and heightened global tensions put renewed attention on the size and resilience of American weapons stockpiles.
"Guaranteeing our naval and joint forces have the lethal firepower they need to deter aggression and protect the homeland is paramount," acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao wrote in a statement. "This landmark $22.9 billion investment will accelerate Tomahawk missile delivery to our warfighters at unprecedented speed.
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"By working closely with industry to expand our munitions industrial base’s capacity, the Department is utilizing every available tool to meet the demands of our current operations, ensuring they are equipped to fight, win, and come home safe."
The Navy said the agreement also supports the Department of War’s Acquisition Transformation Strategy, which is aimed at accelerating weapons deliveries and reducing procurement lead times.
The Tomahawk is one of the U.S. military’s primary long-range strike weapons and can be launched from Navy ships and submarines against targets hundreds of miles away. The Navy’s Portfolio Acquisition Executive Munitions oversees procurement and delivery of the service’s munitions and strike capabilities and is working to coordinate weapons programs with the industrial base to expand production capacity.