The United States Department of War (DOW) announced this Monday a contract worth 22.9 billion dollars with Raytheon —a company of the RTX group— awarded by the Navy to significantly accelerate the production of the Tomahawk cruise missile, the primary long-range strike weapon of the U.S. fleet.
The seven-year agreement comes amid the ongoing war against Iran and addresses a critical vulnerability revealed by the Epic Fury Operation—which began on February 28, 2026—: the inability of the defense industry to replenish precision munitions at the pace they are consumed in a high-intensity conflict.
According to estimates gathered by 19FortyFive, the campaign against Iranian nuclear and military facilities consumed between 850 and more than 1,000 Tomahawk missiles, equivalent to up to a third of the U.S. strategic arsenal, which is estimated to be between 3,000 and 4,150 units.
The contrast with the previous production capacity is striking: before the contract, Raytheon produced only between 60 and 90 Tomahawks per year, and the Navy itself had only requested 57 units in the budget for fiscal year 2026, prior to the escalation of the conflict.
Replacing more than 850 missiles at that pace would have taken over a decade.
In February 2026, RTX had already signed five framework agreements with DOW to increase annual production to over 1,000 units; the contract announced this Monday is the financial realization of that commitment, according to information from Reuters.
The Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisitions, Michael P. Duffey, emphasized the scope of the agreement: “The Department called on the industry to expand ammunition production, and RTX responded to that call. This Tomahawk contract increases our capability to equip the Joint Force, ensuring that our fighters never face a fair fight.”
The Acting Secretary of the Navy, Hung Cao, was even more emphatic: "Ensuring that our naval and joint forces have the lethal firepower they need to deter aggression and protect the homeland is paramount. This historic investment of $22.9 billion will accelerate the delivery of Tomahawk missiles to our combatants at an unprecedented pace."
The White House amplified the announcement on social media, describing it as a "crucial investment" to ensure that the fleet possesses "overwhelming power."
The contract also aims to strengthen the industrial supply chain: it includes the expansion of Raytheon's workforce, the increase in manufacturing output, and the consolidation of suppliers, in line with DOW's Procurement Transformation Strategy.
The announcement is set against a backdrop of increasing geopolitical tension. The NATO summit held in Ankara in July reaffirmed Article 5 of mutual defense and called for Iran not to acquire nuclear weapons, while intelligence reports this month warn that Russia may attempt to test the Alliance's resolve with actions on the European eastern flank.
Analysts also note that the depletion of arsenals in the Iranian conflict leaves the United States in a more vulnerable position should tensions arise with China, making the accelerated replenishment of ammunition a strategic priority that extends beyond the current theater of operations.
The DOW is the operational name adopted by the Department of Defense following a executive order signed by Trump in September 2025, reviving the historic name used until 1947; the final legal change still requires Congressional approval, which made progress in that direction in June 2026.
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