The U.S. Navy is requesting $3 billion to replenish its stockpile of Tomahawk missiles that have been depleted over the course of the Iran war, according to the Defense Department’s fiscal 2027 budget request.
As part of the $1.5 trillion budget request released Friday, the Navy has asked for a 1,200% increase in the number of the long-range land attack missile.
In fiscal 2026, Congress granted the service $257 million for the purchase of 58 Tomahawk missiles.
The Navy is now asking lawmakers to subsidize the production of 785 Tomahawk missiles for a little over $3 billion, including roughly $1.5 billion for Tomahawk missile modifications.
The 2027 budget also requested 494 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles for approximately $800 million, up from the 106 AMRAAMs for roughly $69 million it asked for in fiscal 2026.
The Navy requested over $22 billion for overall weapons procurement, up from the approximately $10 billion requested for the same category in 2026.
The Washington Post reported on March 27 that the Pentagon was burning through Tomahawk missiles at an alarming rate, launching at least 850 Tomahawks since the Iran war began on Feb. 28.
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The Center for Strategic International Studies released a report that said the U.S. likely still has close to 3,000 Tomahawk missiles in its arsenal, but the report stated the 850 missiles fired were the most ever for a single military campaign.
The next closest was 802 Tomahawks used during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The 2027 budget request, if passed, would largely replenish the bulk of the missiles used during Operation Epic Fury, notwithstanding the timeline it would take for them to be delivered.
Mark Cancian, one of the authors of the CSIS report, told Military Times in an interview that it would take two to three years to replace the 850 Tomahawks already expended.
The Navy is expecting to receive 110 Tomahawks in fiscal 2026, according to the CSIS report.
Tomahawks are ship-launched ground attack missiles that possess long-range accuracy and contain 1,000-pound warheads.
The clip at which Tomahawks are being launched is reportedly affecting Pentagon business agreements.
Japan’s order for roughly 400 Tomahawk missiles from the United States is facing potential setbacks as a result of the heavy use of the specific ammunition during the Iran war, Bloomberg News first reported.
That order was originally set to be completed by March 2028.
RTX produced 100 new missiles in 2025, Bloomberg reported.
The defense contractor also signed an agreement with the Defense Department on Feb. 4, 2026, to increase annual production of Tomahawk missiles up to 1,000 over a potential seven-year span.
Riley Ceder is a reporter at Military Times, where he covers breaking news, criminal justice, investigations, and cyber. He previously worked as an investigative practicum student at The Washington Post, where he contributed to the Abused by the Badge investigation.
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