The U.S. is running out of Tomahawk missiles: the war in Iran is depleting the Pentagon’s strategic stockpiles

After four weeks of war with Iran, the Pentagon has run out of Tomahawk cruise missiles. The US has already launched over 850 units, which is not sustainable as the American defence industry only produces a few hundred such missiles per year. With a price tag of up to $3.6 million each and a production time of up to two years, the rapid depletion of the arsenal (which was estimated at 3,000–4,500 units before the war) poses a threat to U.S. global security and its readiness for other potential conflicts, particularly in the Pacific region.

The war between the United States and Iran, now in its fourth week, is a bit of a worry for the Pentagon’s top leadership. The main problem has become the rapid depletion of stocks of strategic Tomahawk cruise missiles, which are being used on an unprecedented scale. Il Giornale has the story.

Missile Shortage and Military Capabilities Under Threat

Reports say that the U.S. military has already fired more than 850 missiles as part of the operation.

We think this rate of use is not going to be sustainable in the medium term. Tomahawk missiles are a key part of the U.S. military strategy, as they allow for precision strikes over long distances without putting personnel at risk.

But making these weapons is really expensive and doesn’t happen very often. The U.S. defence industry only makes a few hundred of these a year, and it can take up to two years to build a single missile. Some of the variants cost as much as $3.6 million each.

The War Zone says that the rate of Tomahawk consumption is alarming and could be a problem for the United States’ global security needs.

Before the conflict began, it was estimated that U.S. total stockpiles were at 3,000–4,500 missiles, and they’re dropping fast. Military bigwigs are already openly discussing the risk of reaching a “Winchester” state – that is, having completely run out of ammo in the combat zone. This whole situation is also making Washington think again about how prepared it is for other potential conflicts, especially in the Pacific region.