Mark F. Cancian and Chris H. Park
Tomahawk missiles have emerged as the key discussion topic surrounding Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s third visit to the White House today. U.S. President Donald Trump has floated the idea of sending the missiles to Ukraine: “If this war doesn’t get settled, I may send Tomahawks.” He had previously said that Ukraine is in a “position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form” with the commitment to “continue to supply [U.S.] weapons to NATO.”
About a thousand Tomahawk missiles are available for transfer to Ukraine in the U.S. stockpile today. Their deployment could have a major impact on the war, but they would need to arrive in Ukraine quickly if they are to give President Trump the leverage he needs to get Russia back to the negotiating table.
Ukraine, however, competes with U.S. requirements in the Pacific, which the administration sees as a higher priority. Further, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned against the transfer in his recent phone call with President Trump and likely will do so again in the prospective summit in Budapest.
Even if President Trump defers a decision about Tomahawks, Ukraine and its supporters can raise the issue in the future.
Q1: What is the Tomahawk missile?
A1: As described by the Navy, “The Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) is an all-weather, long-range, subsonic cruise missile used for deep land attack warfare, launched from U. S. Navy surface ships and U.S. Navy and United Kingdom Royal Navy submarines.” The missile has been around for a long time, with production beginning in 1980. Over time, there have been many versions, called “blocks,” and several special designs—including one developed to target the Iraqi electric grid.
The current version is Block V. Block IV is in the fleet and is being upgraded. Block III was withdrawn from service over the last few years, while earlier versions have long been retired. The recently procured missiles have all been conventional. The nuclear-armed version, TLAM-N, was procured in the 1980s and retired in 2013.
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