If Donald Trump approves the supply of "Tomahawk" cruise missiles, the US will assist the Armed Forces of Ukraine in launching them, reported Financial Times by a senior Western military official. Typically, "Tomahawk" missiles are launched from ships or submarines. However, there is an option to launch them from land. For this, the Armed Forces of Ukraine will need special launchers — the US Army's medium-range Typhon systems or long-range Marine Corps systems.
As noted by the publication's interlocutor, if the launch is conducted by American contractors, there will be "no need for extensive training of Ukrainian troops and will allow the US to maintain control over targeting and other issues." He added that if the supply is approved, the missiles could be transferred to Ukraine "relatively quickly."
It remains unknown how many "Tomahawk" missiles the US will be willing to sell to allies for subsequent transfer to Ukraine. After all, the American military "uses them faster than they purchase." For example, since 2022, the US has purchased only 202 missiles, and used — since 2024 — at least 124 (against the Houthis and Iran).
The Director of the Defense Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) Stacie Pettyjohn believes that Washington can provide Kyiv with 20 to 50 cruise missiles. However, former Pentagon official Mark Cancian believes that the US is ready to part with "hundreds" of "Tomahawks." According to his calculations, the entire American arsenal includes about 4150 such missiles.