US Warns Japan of Possible Delays in Tomahawk Missile Supply Due to War with Iran — Bloomberg

The United States of America has recently communicated to Japan regarding possible interruptions in the supply of an order for around 400 Tomahawk missiles, which were expected to arrive by March 2028. The reason for this potential delay is the ongoing conflict with Iran, which has severely drained American reserves. This information was reported by Bloomberg, citing reliable sources.

One informant noted that the United States has already launched hundreds of Tomahawk missiles during strikes against Iran. Prior to the onset of military actions, the U.S. had approximately 4,000 of these missiles in its arsenals, including older models and anti-ship variants. Notably, RTX Corporation, the manufacturer of the missiles, produced around 100 new missiles in 2025 and also upgraded about 240 older models to the latest Block V standard.

The source indicated that the war has consumed missile quantities equivalent to more than two years of cumulative production. Japan's order, valued at $2.35 billion and signed in 2024, has become one of the largest from foreign nations. Japan's Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi confirmed in March the receipt of the first batch of Tomahawk missiles. However, according to two sources, Washington has communicated that its current priority is ensuring supplies for the war in Iran.

Bloomberg notes that Tomahawk missiles are a central component of Tokyo's new strategy, which aims to equip Japan with long-range strike capabilities to counter challenges posed by China and North Korea. However, it remains unclear whether there is a risk that the U.S. will be unable to meet the overall deadline of March 2028 for completing all deliveries due to anticipated delays in the schedule.

Koizumi and Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth held two phone conversations in mid-March to discuss the conflict in Iran. Official statements regarding the meetings did not mention Tomahawk supplies. Nevertheless, according to two sources, this issue was raised at least during one of the calls.

Bloomberg also reports that efforts to ramp up Tomahawk production to 1,000 missiles, which is a new goal for the U.S. Department of Defense along with its manufacturer RTX, may take years. The U.S. Navy has requested only 57 missiles for this fiscal year. Since the 2021 fiscal year, the United States has acquired a total of only 322 Tomahawk missiles. In the 2019, 2024, and 2025 fiscal years, the U.S. Navy did not purchase new Tomahawk missiles, despite numerous military exercises involving the U.S. and China that demonstrated a significant need for them.

U.S. allies in Asia have already expressed concerns regarding the redeployment of American military assets to the Middle East. Approximately 3,500 Marines and sailors stationed in Japan have been sent to this region for potential combat involvement in the war with Iran. On March 27, The Washington Post reported, citing informed sources, that U.S. military forces have launched over 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles in the four weeks of the war against Iran. This has raised concerns among some Pentagon officials due to the rapid depletion of high-precision munitions.