Why giving Ukraine Tomahawk missiles could be a gamechanger in the Russia war

• Tomahawks have a much longer range than the missiles the U.S. has provided up to now, and can move faster and pack a bigger punch the drones Ukraine uses for long-range strikes.

Flashback: Trump suggested earlier this month that he'd consider providing Tomahawks, but he "might have to speak to Russia" about it.

• "Do they want to have Tomahawks going in their direction? I don't think so. I told that to President Zelensky, because Tomahawks are a new step of aggression," Trump said.
• "I might say, 'Look, if this war is not gonna get settled, I may send them Tomahawks.' Russia doesn't need that. I think it is appropriate to bring that up."

Here's what to know on Tomahawks.

What are Tomahawk missiles?

The Tomahawks are subsonic cruise missiles that are typically launched from U.S. Navy ships and submarines, per the CSIS Missile Defense Project. Historically, some models could carry nuclear payloads.

• But Ukraine would most likely need to launch them from land. The U.S. Army introduced a land-based launcher, called Typhon, in 2023.

Friction point: That means Trump would not only need to provide Tomahawks, but also launchers. In both cases, some officials in the Pentagon would be very worried about depleting U.S. stocks.

Zoom in: Tomahawks measure roughly 5.55 meters (18.2 feet) long, or roughly 6.25 meters (20.5 feet) with a booster.

• They're heavy, weighing 1,315 kilograms (roughly 2,900 pounds) at launch.
• The average cost of a single missile is $1.3 million.

The weapon originated in the U.S. with Raytheon (otherwise known as RTX) as the sole manufacturer.

• The U.S. and its allies have used Tomahawks more than 2,350 times in operational environments, per RTX.

Quick history of Tomahawk missiles

The Navy began developing sea-launched cruise missiles in the 1970s.

• They were designed with the idea of flying at subsonic speed at low altitudes, which would make it harder to find them on radar, according to CSIS.
• The weapons went under several renovations and upgrades over the last 50 years. The Block II was used during the 1980s before the Block III arrived in 1993.
• The next upgrade, the Block IV, was unveiled in the early 2000s.

The intrigue: It's unclear what generation of missile Ukraine would receive. Ukrainian officials believe older versions would be more vulberable to Russian air defense systems.

Who has Tomahawk missiles now?

Only a few nations use the Tomahawk.

• The United States and the United Kingdom are the main carriers.
• In 2024, Japan agreed to purchase up to 400 Tomahawk cruise missiles from the U.S. for $2.35 billion as part of an effort by the Asian country to build up its military.
• Australia and the Netherlands both purchased Tomahawks as well.

When does U.S. use Tomahawks?

Tomahawks are generally used when the United States wants to blow stuff up from far away.

• Trump launched 50 to 60 Tomahawk missiles against Syria in 2017, targeting an airfield near Homs.
• More recently, the U.S. and the U.K. launched attacks at Houthi rebel sites in Yemen in 2024.
• Dozens of Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAMs) were used in operation Midnight Hammer, a surprise U.S. military attack on Iranian nuclear facilities in June.

How far can Tomahawk missiles travel?

The missiles can typically travel 1,250-2,500 kilometers (777-1552 miles)

• That's the same distance as New York City to Charleston, S.C. (roughly 770 miles), or Boston to Oklahoma City (roughly 1500 miles).

Reality check: Some critics argue the 2,500 kilometer peak range is a historical exception and probably not reasonable. But even the lower end would put Moscow in range of the border with Ukraine.

Tomahawks vs. other missiles

The U.S. has currently authorized Ukraine to use the Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS, which are short-range ballistic missiles that can reach 300 kilometers (or about 190 miles).

• Ukraine also has U.S.-supplied Extended Range Attack Munition (ERAM) missiles, which can reach 240 to 450 kilometers (150-280 miles).
• For comparison, the Storm Shadow (from Britain) and the Scalp cruise missiles (from France) can reach a distance of 155 miles.
• Ukraine has also developed its own missile systems, Palianytsia and Flamingo, though they lack the extensive track record of the Tomahawk.

More from Axios:

Trump says he and Putin will hold second summit on Ukraine in Budapest

Trump, Zelensky to discuss Tomahawks for Ukraine at White House Friday

"It's a pity": Zelensky says Trump gave Putin what he wanted