U.S. media reports over the weekend described growing concern within the Pentagon over the pace at which the U.S. military is depleting its stockpile of Tomahawk cruise missiles amid the war with Iran.
According to reports in The Washington Post and the Daily Mail, the United States has already launched about 850 Tomahawk missiles, each costing between $2 million and $3.6 million.
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(Photo: REUTERS/U.S. Navy/Intelligence Specialist 1st Class Kenneth Moll/File Photo/File Photo)
The missiles are considered a key asset because they allow the U.S. Navy to strike targets at distances of up to 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) without putting pilots at risk.
One official told The Washington Post that Tomahawk supplies are now “alarmingly low,” citing difficulties in producing the missiles. Another official said stockpiles are approaching “Winchester,” a military term indicating that ammunition has run out.
While the exact size of Pentagon stockpiles is closely guarded, only a few hundred Tomahawk missiles are produced each year. According to the U.S. defense budget, just 57 were procured last year.
Officials are now urgently weighing whether to transfer Tomahawk missiles to the Middle East from other theaters, including the Indo-Pacific, to sustain operations against Iran.
The Pentagon pushed back on the reports. Spokesman Sean Parnell said the Defense Department has “everything it needs to conduct any mission, at any time and in any place the president chooses.”
The Daily Mail reported that Tomahawk missiles have been a central component of U.S. military power since their first use in the 1991 Gulf War. Their extensive use in the current conflict has raised concern among some Pentagon officials about dwindling reserves.
Officials are also discussing ways to ramp up production to meet rising demand. Military experts are tracking usage rates and assessing how many missiles may be needed not only for the war with Iran but also for potential future conflicts.
Tomahawk missiles can be guided via satellite, strike preprogrammed targets and identify new ones in real time using GPS. They can also loiter over a battlefield, transmitting live video to commanders.
Without Tomahawk missiles, the United States can carry out strikes using aircraft and unguided bombs, an option considered relatively straightforward given control of the airspace. However, such operations still carry risks. An F-35 stealth fighter was damaged over Iran last week and forced to make an emergency landing at a U.S. base.