Raytheon has been awarded a $401.2-million full-rate production contract by the US Navy for 131 Block V Tomahawk missiles.
As part of the contract, a total of 26 missiles will be delivered to the US Army, 16 to the US Marine Corps, 11 to Australia, and 78 to Japan.
Work will be performed in various locations across the US, with expected completion by March 2028.
To Counter Chinese Navy
Both Australia and Japan have pursued acquiring the long-range cruise missile over the last couple of years to beef-up their naval firepower against a rising Chinese Navy.
The US Statement Department approved the sale of 200 Tomahawk Block V and up to 20 Tomahawk Block IV missiles to Australia in March 2023.
The exact date Canberra signed the procurement contract is not clear. However, the Royal Australian Navy test-fired the missile for the first time on December 3.
Meanwhile, Japan signed a $2.35-billion deal to procure 400 Tomahawks in January.
Tomahawk Block V
Introduced in 2021, the Block V series features an upgraded warhead, navigation, and communication, making it harder to counter electronically.
A maritime strike version, the Block Va features a new seeker to strike moving targets.
The Block Vb features a joint multi-effects warhead to strike more diverse land targets.
Though the exact range of the variant is not known, it is expected to hit surface vessels over 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometers) away.