- Additional US and international funding has been committed to Lot 5 and Lot 6 of the Tomahawk modernisation programme
- The Tomahawk Block IV is being upgraded to the Block V standard, offering new capabilities including maritime strike
- The cruise missile will retain its position as a key long-range strike military for the US and its allies
US defence prime Raytheon has been awarded a $380.8m fixed-price incentive and firm-fixed-price contract modification, adding scope for the Lot 5 and Lot 6 recertification and modernisation of extant Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Of the committed funding, $99.4m from Foreign Military Sales (FMS) will be obligated at the time of the award, along with additional funds from the US Army, US Navy, and US Marine Corps.
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The recertification and modernisation see existing Tomahawk Block IV All-Up-Round (AUR) missiles modified to the new Block V standard, the baseline for the so-called Maritime Strike Tomahawk (MST).
Block V Tomahawks feature improved navigation and electronic hardening systems and provides a naval surface-to-surface strike capability, while retaining the traditional land-strike element of the missile.
Specifically, it is thought that a Block Va will have the ability to strike moving targets at sea, the MST variant, while the Block Vb – which features a joint multi-effects warhead – will be able to hit a more diverse range of land targets than the standard Block V.
Asia-Pacific countries such as Japan and Australia have procured Tomahawk Block IV missiles, while in Europe the UK will operate them from the Type 26 City-class frigates, currently in build.
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By GlobalDataThe UK Royal Navy has operated the TLAM from its Astute-class nuclear-powered attack submarines for a number of years.
These legacy operators in recent years have moved to upgrade existing Block IV stock to Block V, either through recertification or acquisition of new missiles, with the UK confirming its intention to upgrade its entire stock in 2022.
The Netherlands also confirmed that it would acquire the Block V Tomahawk for use in its De Zeven Provinciën-class frigates.
Raytheon nets FMS deal for SM-2/6
Meanwhile, Raytheon, itself a business unit within RTX, has also been awarded a $59m cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to a previously awarded contract to exercise options for Standard Missiles 2 and 6 (SM-2/6) engineering and technical support. The contract involves FMS to Australia, Chile, Denmark, and South Korea.
Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, and is expected to be completed by March 2028.
According to GlobalData’s ‘Global Missiles & Missile Defense Systems Market Forecast 2025-2035’ report, the global missile sector was anticipated to grow from $55.7bn in 2025 to $98.5bn by 2035.
Among geographic segments, North America is projected to dominate the market with a share of 39.2%, followed by Europe and Asia-Pacific with shares of 31.2% and 20.5%, respectively.
