The proposed record-breaking $1.5 trillion U.S. defense budget is drawing attention for its scope, the scale of weapons spending, and a sharp increase in orders for certain systems, particularly Tomahawk cruise missiles.
According to the budget request analyzed by USNI, the Pentagon plans to allocate $3 billion for long-range missiles in 2027 to fund the production of 785 Tomahawks. This is more than a 1,200% increase compared with 2026, when $257.6 million was allocated to produce 55 missiles for the U.S. Navy.
Read more: Is 10-Point Plan U.S. Capitulation to Iran, and Is Ceasefire Already One-Sided?
The Tomahawk is priced at $3.8 million per missile, with no details on its variant, intended use, or full procurement costs. Currently, the active Tomahawk variants are Block Va, designed for anti-ship missions, and Block Vb, intended for strikes against ground targets.
It is also worth noting that in the first month of the war against Iran, the U.S. used more than 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles. Therefore, even an order of this size would not cover current expenses.
The budget request also includes $1.5 billion to modernize existing cruise missiles, without specifying the quantity, up from $480 million in 2026. An additional $116.2 million is allocated for related equipment, compared to $107.7 million for the current year.
From Defense Express we would like to note that allocating funds for these missiles in fiscal year 2027, which begins in October 2026, does not mean the Pentagon will receive all 785 Tomahawks next year. It simply means that the Pentagon will have the option to contract for that number.
In particular, the contracts for these missiles from 2024 and 2025 are revealing, as they set completion dates in early 2028 and 2029, respectively. In other words, in 2027, the order will only be placed, and the missiles will be delivered much later.
It is also noted the plan also includes $4.33 billion for the purchase of SM-6 anti-aircraft missiles, which should be enough to acquire 540 units. At the same time, funding in 2026 covered only 166 SM-6 missiles at a total cost of $1.41 billion, meaning each missile was budgeted at $8 million.
A similar increase in funding applies to AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, with $804 million planned to purchase 494 units for the U.S. Navy alone—a 370% increase over 2026.
Read more: U.S. Destroys Iran’s Shahed-171, Reverse-Engineered Copy of Secret RQ-170 Stolen With Alleged russian EW Help in 2011
