Powerful 550mph Tomahawk missiles could change the course of the war in Ukraine – and US President Donald Trump has hinted that he could be ready to supply them
Donald Trump has said he is ready to send powerful 550mph Tomahawk missiles to help Ukraine fight Russia – just days before he is set to meet Vladimir Putin.
Ahead of his own meeting with Trump today, Volodymyr Zelensky gave some insight into a phone call between himself and the US president on the plane over, during which the pair discussed Tomahawk missiles.
While Ukraine has not been short of support from the Western military since the conflict with Russia began in 2022, what they have longed for is longer-range strike capabilities which could the change the course of the war. Over recent weeks, Trump has increasingly hinted at the possibility of supplying them with the US-made missiles if Russia continues to refuse a peaceful resolution three years after invading Ukraine.
On October 12, Zelensky said: “We see and hear that Russia is afraid that the Americans may give us Tomahawks—that this kind of pressure may work for peace.”
Putin has claimed that while the missiles pose no serious threat to Russia, supplying them would make for “an entirely new, qualitatively different escalation” in US-Russia relations ahead of his meeting with Trump next week. Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said on Russian state television that there is “extreme concern” in Moscow surrounding potential use of the weapons.
What are Tomahawks?
First developed by the US in the 1970s, Tomahawks are high-accuracy subsonic cruise missiles powered by jet engines. They are equipped with the most precise navigation systems and are strategically designed to strike high-value land targets from a long distance.
They come in a wide range of variants and can be launched from various platforms, with the capability to carry different warheads, including nuclear. Ukrainian military expert Kostiantyn Kryvolap told: “The Americans originally designed it as a delivery system for nuclear warheads in three variants: air-launched, land-based and seaborne.”
When first built, the nuclear-armed Tomahawk’s range was up to 2,500 kilometres (1,554 miles), but as the warheads were replaced for conventional ones, the ranges were reduced. Tomahawk missile ranges were reduced to 1,600 kilometres, although today there are still remaining variants that have a 2,500-kilometre range.
How will they help Ukraine?
Tomahawk missiles were used by US forces in Iraq, Libya and Syria, so they are ‘tried and tested’. Thanks to the missile’s long range, it would mean that Ukrainian forces can strike key military targets deep inside Russia.
They can reach Russian targets from up to 1,600 kilometres away, meaning, if received, the Tomahawk would be the longest-range US weapon given to Ukraine. Both military experts and the Ukrainian president believe that these missiles will give them the power to target key Russian assets way beyond the front lines – including the likes of logistics hubs and even arms factories.
Although Zelenskyy has been clear to stress that their aim with these missiles is purely against Russian military targets and nothing else. He explained: “We never attacked their civilians. This is the big difference between Ukraine and Russia. That’s why, if we speak about long-range missiles, we speak only about military goals.”
At this moment in time it remains unclear just how many Tomahawks the US would be willing to supply Ukraine and just how much they will cost. Although the Netherlands, for instance, pays $12.5 million (£9.4 million) per missile, while Japan pays just $4.25 million (£3.2 million), according to DW.
It’s also far from a done deal, and on Thursday the US president appeared to weaken his stance on the Tomahawk issue, telling reporters in the Oval Office: “We need Tomahawks for the United States of America too. We have a lot of them but we need them. I mean, we can’t deplete for our country. I don’t know what we can do about that.”