27.03.2026, 18:24
WP reported on the Pentagon's concern about the too rapid consumption of Tomahawk missiles
Source: OREANDA-NEWS
OREANDA-NEWS Since the beginning of the military operation, American troops have fired more than 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles at targets in Iran, which has caused concern in the Pentagon about the rapid reduction in stocks of these expensive weapons, The Washington Post writes, citing sources familiar with the situation.
The active use of these missiles, which have a range of 1,600 km, in the conflict with Iran required urgent consideration of the possibility of transferring such weapons from other regions of the world, including the Indo-Pacific region, as well as coordinated long-term efforts to produce them, several American officials said.
The newspaper notes that only a few hundred such missiles are produced annually in the United States. At the same time, the Pentagon does not disclose information about how many missiles are in service at any given time.
One official described the number of Tomahawk missiles remaining in the Middle East as "alarmingly low," while another said the region's stockpile was almost depleted.
Each cruise missile costs $3.6 million. Their reproduction can take up to two years. In recent years, the Pentagon has been purchasing them in small batches. Last year's defense budget included only 57 units, the newspaper writes. At the same time, according to sources, many of the more than 850 spent missiles were launched in the first days of the operation.
In addition, according to two other officials familiar with the situation, the US military has also fired more than 1,000 interceptor missiles of air defense systems, including Patriot and THAAD complexes. Stocks of these weapons have also been significantly reduced.
Mackenzie Eaglen, a senior researcher at the American Enterprise Institute, told the publication that there were probably 4,000 to 4,500 Tomahawk missiles in service with the US Navy before the operation began. Other naval analysts believe that their number could be much smaller, perhaps around 3,000.
The active use of these missiles, which have a range of 1,600 km, in the conflict with Iran required urgent consideration of the possibility of transferring such weapons from other regions of the world, including the Indo-Pacific region, as well as coordinated long-term efforts to produce them, several American officials said.
The newspaper notes that only a few hundred such missiles are produced annually in the United States. At the same time, the Pentagon does not disclose information about how many missiles are in service at any given time.
One official described the number of Tomahawk missiles remaining in the Middle East as "alarmingly low," while another said the region's stockpile was almost depleted.
Each cruise missile costs $3.6 million. Their reproduction can take up to two years. In recent years, the Pentagon has been purchasing them in small batches. Last year's defense budget included only 57 units, the newspaper writes. At the same time, according to sources, many of the more than 850 spent missiles were launched in the first days of the operation.
In addition, according to two other officials familiar with the situation, the US military has also fired more than 1,000 interceptor missiles of air defense systems, including Patriot and THAAD complexes. Stocks of these weapons have also been significantly reduced.
Mackenzie Eaglen, a senior researcher at the American Enterprise Institute, told the publication that there were probably 4,000 to 4,500 Tomahawk missiles in service with the US Navy before the operation began. Other naval analysts believe that their number could be much smaller, perhaps around 3,000.
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