U.S. Navy Awards Raytheon $22.9 Billion Deal To Boost Tomahawk Missile Production

The U.S. military has awarded Raytheon, a unit of RTX, a $22.9 billion contract to increase production of Tomahawk missiles as it works to rebuild its stocks of high-tech weapons.

The seven-year deal will allow Raytheon to produce more than 1,000 Tomahawk missiles a year, up from about 60 currently, the company said.

The United States has supplied large amounts of weapons to allies and has also used munitions in the Iran conflict, raising concerns about its stocks of air-defense and precision-guided weapons.

“We called on industry to rapidly scale up munitions output, and RTX is delivering,” Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao said in a post on X.

“This landmark Tomahawk contract ensures our warfighters continue to have the lethal firepower they need,” Cao said.

Tomahawk Production to Increase

The new agreement would increase annual Tomahawk production by more than 16 times, from about 60 missiles to more than 1,000.

Tomahawk missiles are launched from U.S. Navy ships and submarines and are used for long-range precision strikes against land targets. They are a key weapon in the Navy’s surface fleet.

The contract follows a framework agreement between the U.S. military and Raytheon signed in February.

US Seeks to Rebuild Weapons Stocks

The deal is part of the Trump administration’s effort to increase weapons production in the United States.

The administration has been working on multi-year contracts with major U.S. defense companies. These agreements are intended to give manufacturers more confidence to invest in new facilities and equipment.

Earlier this month, the U.S. military also signed agreements to increase production of parts for Patriot and THAAD interceptor missiles.

About the Tomahawk Missile

The Tomahawk is a long-range, precision-guided cruise missile that has been used by the U.S. military for decades. It is launched primarily from naval platforms and is designed to strike targets deep inside enemy territory.

According to Raytheon and the U.S. Navy, the missile can be launched from surface ships and submarines and can strike targets from distances of up to 1,000 miles.

Raytheon, which manufactures the missile, is one of the United States’ largest defense companies and develops a range of military technologies, including missile-defense systems, sensors, command-and-control systems and precision weapons.

References: Reuters, Defence News