Pentagon Awards Raytheon $22.9 Billion to Rebuild American Arsenal

Clear Facts

• The U.S. Navy has awarded Raytheon a $22.9 billion contract to accelerate Tomahawk missile production and expand munitions capacity
• President Trump dismissed concerns about weapons stockpile strain from Iran conflict, stating “what we’ve used is peanuts”
• The contract aims to strengthen supply chains, expand workforce, and speed delivery of long-range cruise missiles to U.S. forces

The Department of War announced Monday that the U.S. Navy has awarded Raytheon, an RTX business, a $22.9 billion contract to accelerate production of Tomahawk missiles, as the Pentagon moves to expand the nation’s munitions capacity and replenish critical long-range strike weapons. The news came after President Donald Trump pushed back on concerns over the strain the Iran conflict might be placing on U.S. weapons stockpiles.

“What we’ve used is peanuts,” Trump told Trey Yingst in an exclusive phone interview earlier Monday.

“We have a lot of mid-level weapons.”

The massive Tomahawk award is intended to give RTX the stability needed to expand its workforce, increase manufacturing output and strengthen supply chains while speeding deliveries of the long-range cruise missile to U.S. forces, according to the department. Pentagon officials have increasingly focused on expanding the U.S. defense industrial base and shortening the time required to produce key weapons as military operations and heightened global tensions put renewed attention on the size and resilience of American weapons stockpiles.

“The Department called upon industry to expand munitions production, and RTX has answered that call,” Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael Duffey wrote in a statement.

“This Tomahawk award increases our ability to equip the Joint Force, ensuring our Warfighters never face a fair fight.”

Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao emphasized the strategic importance of the investment in maintaining American military superiority. The landmark contract represents one of the largest single munitions procurement deals in recent Pentagon history.

“Guaranteeing our naval and joint forces have the lethal firepower they need to deter aggression and protect the homeland is paramount,” Cao wrote in a statement.

“This landmark $22.9 billion investment will accelerate Tomahawk missile delivery to our warfighters at unprecedented speed. By working closely with industry to expand our munitions industrial base’s capacity, the Department is utilizing every available tool to meet the demands of our current operations, ensuring they are equipped to fight, win, and come home safe.”

The Navy said the agreement also supports the Department of War’s Acquisition Transformation Strategy, which is aimed at accelerating weapons deliveries and reducing procurement lead times. The Tomahawk is one of the U.S. military’s primary long-range strike weapons and can be launched from Navy ships and submarines against targets hundreds of miles away.

The Navy’s Portfolio Acquisition Executive Munitions oversees procurement and delivery of the service’s munitions and strike capabilities and is working to coordinate weapons programs with the industrial base to expand production capacity. This massive investment signals the administration’s commitment to maintaining American military readiness and ensuring U.S. forces maintain overwhelming firepower advantage against potential adversaries.

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