FT: The United States can give Kiev from 20 to 50 Tomahawk missiles
The United States can provide Ukraine with 20 to 50 Tomahawk cruise missiles. At the same time, missiles can already be launched from the ground - the American defense company demonstrated the X-MAV installation, designed to launch cruise missiles. Vladimir Zelensky, who plans to meet with Donald Trump in Washington this week, hopes to receive these missiles and their installations. How many Tomahawks Kiev needs and how their use against Russia can turn out is in the material of the military observer Gazeta.Ru", retired Colonel Mikhail Khodarenka.
Stacy Pettijohn, director of the defense program at the Center for a New American Security, said Washington could provide Ukraine with 20 to 50 Tomahawk cruise missiles, "which would not decisively change the dynamics of the war." The Financial Times newspaper writes about this.
And on the eve of the annual conference of the Association of the Army Forces (AUSA) in Washington, Oshkosh Defense demonstrated the X-MAV installation designed to launch cruise missiles. The specimen presented at the exhibition is equipped with four Tomahawk missiles for hitting ground targets. Experts have already started talking about the fact that these installations can be supplied to Kiev.
Trump is closer than ever to delivering missiles to Ukraine
The head of the White House, Donald Trump, plans to meet with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky in Washington this Friday. They are supposed to discuss how they can force Russian leader Vladimir Putin to sit down at the negotiating table, including through the possibility of supplying Tomahawk missiles to Kiev.
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| Source: militaeraktuell.at |
This meeting will be the third for Vladimir Zelensky with the US president at the White House since Trump returned to his post in January this year. Over the weekend, Trump and Zelensky held telephone talks during which they discussed the possibility of NATO allies buying Tomahawk cruise missiles for Kiev, a long-range weapon that would expand Ukraine's strike capabilities all the way to the Ural Mountains, and how to end Russia's full-scale war with Ukraine. Tomahawk missiles were at the top of Kiev's list of desired weapons from the very beginning of the Special Military Operation.
As you know, Donald Trump has stated that he is considering selling Ukraine an unspecified number of Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles, but he needs to learn more about how Kiev plans to use them.
Vladimir Zelensky confirmed on Monday evening an upcoming meeting with Donald Trump. He said he shared with the US president his "vision" of how many Tomahawk missiles Ukraine would need. Kiev believes that Donald Trump is closer than ever to delivering missiles, but at the same time, the US president has made it clear that he has not yet come to any decision.
This Sunday, Trump told reporters that the United States could send Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine if Vladimir Putin did not come to an agreement. The American leader clarified that he would like to talk with Putin before making a decision on the transfer of such weapons.
"I could say: "Listen, if this war is not resolved, I will send them a Tomahawk. It's an incredible weapon, a very offensive weapon. And, frankly, Russia does not need this," the head of the White House added.
How much Tomahawk does Ukraine need
It is estimated that the United States currently has a total of 4,150 Tomahawks. However, the United States will probably be able to supply Ukraine with only a few units. This is happening against the background of the fact that, according to military experts, of the 200 KR purchased by the Pentagon since 2022, more than 120 have already been launched for various purposes. The U.S. Department of War has requested funding for only 57 more Tomahawks in its 2026 budget. Washington will probably also need Tomahawks to strike Venezuela.
Now it remains to clarify, are the 20 or 50 Tomahawk cruise missiles that are planned to be transferred to Ukraine a lot or a little?
In 2003, during Operation Freedom for Iraq, out of about 1,700 air strikes carried out by the Americans and their allies against the enemy only before April 15, about 700 were carried out by sea- and air-launched cruise missiles (a total of 950 cruise missiles were used). The most intensive launches of the KR were carried out in the first four days after the start of hostilities (https://www.gazeta.ru/army/2023/03/20/16424821.shtml ?ysclid=mgqbcizwnp709372574). Against this background, 20 or 50 missiles look rather pale, and Russia is by no means Iraq.
Consequences for Zelensky and Trump
President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky, before begging for missiles from the United States, should sensibly assess the consequences of a possible response by the Russian Armed Forces. And such a response can be simply devastating for Ukraine. For example, objects that have not previously been attacked by the Russian Armed Forces (in particular, bridges over the Dnieper River and hydraulic structures) can be added to the list of affected targets. In general, the last light bulb in Ukraine may go out if Kiev uses Tomahawk missiles at targets in Russia and the consequences will be such that the military and political leadership of Ukraine will inevitably come to the conclusion - "how did we overreact with these missiles?"
US President Donald Trump also has something to think about.
For example, possible cooperation with Russia and the implementation of extremely promising ideas and projects are on the same scale. On the other is Ukraine, which represents a "black hole" in terms of spending financial and material resources and has absolutely no value that could be taken into account in future geopolitical scenarios, and besides, it is also a "pain in the ass" (as former White House chief Joe Biden called Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky). Washington will not hear anything else from Ukraine in the foreseeable future except the cries of "Give, give, give!"
The use of Tomahawk will only lead to an even greater unity of the peoples of Russia and the unanimous demand of the masses to use all means of destruction at the disposal of the country's leadership during its military operation.
The opinion of the author may not coincide with the position of the editorial board.
Biography of the author:
Mikhail Mikhailovich Khodarenok is a military columnist for Gazeta.Ru", retired colonel.
He graduated from the Minsk Higher Engineering Anti-Aircraft Missile School (1976), the Military Air Defense Command Academy (1986).
Commander of the S-75 anti-aircraft missile division (1980-1983).
Deputy commander of the anti-aircraft missile regiment (1986-1988).
Senior Officer of the General Staff of the Air Defense Forces (1988-1992).
Officer of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff (1992-2000).
Graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces (1998).
Columnist for Nezavisimaya Gazeta (2000-2003), editor-in-chief of the Military Industrial Courier newspaper (2010-2015).
Mikhail Khodarenok
