Media: US navy fires five years’ worth of Tomahawks in just 72 hours

In the opening 72 hours of Operation Epic Fury, the US Navy reportedly launched around 400 Tomahawk cruise missiles — roughly 10 per cent of the nation’s ready-to-fire inventory. The unprecedented pace of missile use has raised concerns about potential stockpile depletion.

The Tomahawk, a long-range, precision-guided cruise missile, has been a cornerstone of US strike capability since the Cold War. It is primarily launched from Navy destroyers, cruisers, and submarines, and can fly at low altitudes to evade radar while striking targets hundreds of miles inland, the National Interest writes. 

The missile relies on multiple advanced guidance systems — GPS navigation, inertial navigation (INS), Terrain Contour Matching (TERCOM), and Digital Scene Matching Area Correlation (DSMAC) — allowing it to navigate complex routes and hit targets with precision.

Analysts warn that the scale of recent launches exceeds the total number of Tomahawks produced over the past five years. Given how long it takes to build a single missile, running dangerously low could have serious strategic consequences.

In the Middle East, a depleted stockpile could allow Iranian forces to act with less fear of retaliation. More broadly, any perceived shortage of missiles could influence global calculations, including how other major powers assess U.S. military readiness.

By Sabina Mammadli