US awards $22.9bn Raytheon contract to accelerate Tomahawk missile production
The seven-year deal aims to increase annual output to over 1,000 units amid reports of depleted stockpiles
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
An analysis by a think tank found that US stocks of Patriot and THAAD air defense missiles have been slashed by the conflict with Iran. File photo: Reuters
Photograph: rthk.hk (embedded from source)
What this story says
- The US Department of Defense awarded Raytheon a $22.9 billion contract to accelerate Tomahawk missile production over seven years.
- Annual production will rise from 60 to over 1,000 units, addressing reported shortages due to the conflict with Iran.
- Acting US Navy Secretary Hung Cao said the contract would deliver missiles to warfighters at 'unprecedented speed'.
- CSIS estimated US stocks of Patriot and THAAD interceptors have been roughly halved since the war with Iran began in February.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 29 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 12 of the 41 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
86/100
Craft
87/100
Hype
15/100
41 sources · methodology
Thin on the left so far
Only 4 of the 29 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated left.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
The US Department of Defense awarded Raytheon a $22.9 billion contract on 17 August 2026 to accelerate production of Tomahawk cruise missiles. The seven-year agreement aims to increase annual output from about 60 units to more than 1,000. Acting US Navy Secretary Hung Cao said the contract would 'accelerate Tomahawk missile delivery to our warfighters at unprecedented speed'.
The contract follows reports of depleted US missile stockpiles due to the conflict with Iran, which began in late February. The Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated that US stocks of Patriot and THAAD air defence interceptors have been roughly halved since the war started. Tomahawk missiles, launched from submarines and warships, have a range of over 1,600 kilometres.
Disagreement on contract value
Some outlets reported the contract value as $23 billion, rounding up from $22.9 billion. vijesti.me and Korrespondent.net used the $23 billion figure, while the majority of reports, including those from rthk.hk and the US Navy, cited $22.9 billion.
What the coverage left out
None of the right-rated digests mentioned the CSIS estimate that US stocks of Patriot and THAAD interceptors have been roughly halved since the war with Iran began. Only rthk.hk, a left-rated outlet, included this detail in its full report. None of the centre-rated digests carried the CSIS estimate either.
The cost per Tomahawk missile, cited as about $2.6 million by vijesti.me, was not mentioned in any of the left-rated or centre-rated digests. Only one right-rated digest, Korrespondent.net, included the annual production increase from 60 to over 1,000 units.
“Guaranteeing our naval and joint forces have the lethal firepower they need to deter aggression and protect the homeland is paramount.”
$22.9bn
Value of Raytheon contract
Seven-year deal to increase Tomahawk missile production
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 4 times, most recently on 17 Aug 2026, 20:00, and will add the sides that appear.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
4 rated outlets
- The four left-rated digests led on the contract’s connection to depleted missile stockpiles. Business Insider and The Independent noted the US military’s effort to 'replenish shrinking stockpiles' of advanced weapons. rthk.hk, whose full report is printed below, quoted Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao’s statement and included the CSIS estimate that Patriot and THAAD interceptor stocks had been 'slashed' by the conflict with Iran. Al-Monitor’s digest also carried Cao’s quote.
- rthk.hk’s report described the contract as a response to 'reports of a shortfall due to the war with Iran' and quoted The Washington Post’s account of President Donald Trump demanding answers from Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth about munitions shortages. The outlet used the phrase 'dwindling missile stocks' to describe the situation.
Centre
11 rated outlets
- The eight centre-rated digests focused on the scale of the contract and its role in rebuilding depleted stockpiles. The Jerusalem Post and Military Times described the deal as a 'landmark' or 'dramatic' boost to Tomahawk production. France24 and Lietuvos Radijas ir Televizija led with the contract’s announcement amid 'reports of a shortfall due to the war with Iran'. Navy Times and Defense News emphasised the US military’s effort to 'rebuild depleted stocks of high-tech weaponry'.
- Newsweek’s digest quoted Raytheon’s pledge to 'dramatically accelerate' production and described the Tomahawk as the US Navy’s 'most important strike weapon'. None of the centre-rated digests mentioned the CSIS estimate of halved Patriot and THAAD interceptor stocks.
Right
14 rated outlets
- The eight right-rated digests led on the contract’s value and its role in addressing munitions shortages. Latestly and Tribune India described the deal as a response to 'depleted US munitions stockpiles' due to the conflict with Iran. Le Figaro’s digest framed the contract as part of Washington’s effort to 'rebuild and strengthen its military capabilities' after months of war. Al Bawaba’s digest used the phrase 'America’s stockpiles are at risk' and described the contract as the Pentagon ‘opening its war vaults’.
- La Razón’s digest described the contract as a move to 'strengthen its long-range attack capability', while abc.es framed it as part of the US’s attempts to 'strengthen the US Navy'. Korrespondent.net’s digest was the only right-rated report to mention the increase in annual production, noting the rise from 60 to over 1,000 units. None of the right-rated digests mentioned the CSIS estimate of halved Patriot and THAAD interceptor stocks.
Read it at the source
41 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
4- The US military is paying RTX's Raytheon big for more Tomahawk missiles. It burned through many of them fighting Iran. (opens Business Insider in a new tab)
Business Insider — is Business Insider biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pentagon inks deal amid reports of missile shortfall (opens rthk.hk in a new tab)
- Raytheon awarded $22.9Bn ‘landmark’ contract to boost Tomahawk output for US Navy (opens The Independent in a new tab)
The Independent — is The Independent biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pentagon inks Tomahawk deal amid reports of missile shortfall (opens Al-Monitor in a new tab)
Al-Monitor — is Al-Monitor biased? Our profile of this outlet
Centre
11- Pentagon Signs Tomahawk Contract Amid Reports of Missile Shortages (opens Lietuvos Radijas ir Televizija in a new tab)
- US awards Raytheon $22.9 billion contract to boost Tomahawk output (opens Jerusalem Post in a new tab)
Jerusalem Post — is Jerusalem Post biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pentagon inks Tomahawk deal amid reports of missile shortfall (opens France24 in a new tab)
- US awards Raytheon $22.9 billion deal to boost Tomahawk output (opens Navy Times in a new tab)
Navy Times — is Navy Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- US awards Raytheon $22.9 billion deal to boost Tomahawk output (opens Defense News in a new tab)
Defense News — is Defense News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- US awards Raytheon $22.9 billion deal to boost Tomahawk output (opens Military Times in a new tab)
Military Times — is Military Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pentagon inks Tomahawk deal amid reports of missile shortfall (opens Radio France Internationale in a new tab)
Radio France Internationale — is Radio France Internationale biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pentagon awards nearly $23bn for US Navy's "most important strike weapon" (opens Newsweek in a new tab)
Show 3 more
- Navy awards Raytheon $22.9 billion contract to boost Tomahawk output (opens New Hampshire Union Leader in a new tab)
New Hampshire Union Leader — is New Hampshire Union Leader biased? Our profile of this outlet
- RTX's Raytheon awarded seven-year contract for Tomahawk cruise missiles (opens PR Newswire in a new tab)
PR Newswire — is PR Newswire biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Raytheon to boost Tomahawk production under new $22.9B deal (opens Defence Blog in a new tab)
Defence Blog — is Defence Blog biased? Our profile of this outlet
Right
14- The US Steps on the Tomahawk Accelerator: 22.9 Billion to Dissipate Its Production (opens La Razón in a new tab)
- US Awards $22.9 Billion Tomahawk Contract to RTX Amid Munitions Stockpile Concerns over Iran War (opens Latestly in a new tab)
- US awards $22.9 billion Tomahawk contract to RTX amid munitions stockpile concerns over Iran War - The Tribune (opens Tribune India in a new tab)
Tribune India — is Tribune India biased? Our profile of this outlet
- In a Context of Ammunition Shortages, the Pentagon Signs a Contract to "Accelerate" the Delivery of Tomahawk Missiles (opens Le Figaro in a new tab)
- America's Stockpiles Are at risk... The Pentagon Opens Its War Vaults for Tomahawk Missiles (opens Al Bawaba in a new tab)
- Pentagon Inks Tomahawk Deal Amid Reports of Missile Shortfall (opens Asharq AL-awsat in a new tab)
Asharq AL-awsat — is Asharq AL-awsat biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pentagon Announces Nearly 20 Billion Contract to Accelerate Tomahawk Missile Production · Global Voices (opens ABC in a new tab)
- US Will Buy US$23 Billion Tomahawk Missiles. (opens Korrespondent.net in a new tab)
Korrespondent.net — is Korrespondent.net biased? Our profile of this outlet
Show 6 more
- Pentagon awards RTX $22.9 million Tomahawk contract to accelerate missile production (opens Anadolu Ajansı in a new tab)
Anadolu Ajansı — is Anadolu Ajansı biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pentagon inks Tomahawk deal amid reports of missile shortfall (opens Free Malaysia Today News in a new tab)
Free Malaysia Today News — is Free Malaysia Today News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pentagon inks nearly $23B Tomahawk deal amid reports of shortage (opens Daily Sabah in a new tab)
Daily Sabah — is Daily Sabah biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Government Announces US$23 Billion Accelerated Production on New Tomahawk Missiles (opens Globo in a new tab)
- US awards Raytheon $22.9B Tomahawk deal as Trump dismisses weapons stockpile concerns (opens Fox News in a new tab)
- Raytheon awarded $22.9 billion contract to ramp up production of Tomahawk cruise missiles (opens Washington Times in a new tab)
Washington Times — is Washington Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
Not rated
12- The U.S. Is Accelerating Tomahawk Production. Raytheon Will Receive a Contract Worth $22.9 Billion. (opens Defence24 in a new tab)
- USA Accelerate Production of Tomahawk Missiles with Historical Contract (opens Noticias ao Minuto in a new tab)
Noticias ao Minuto — is Noticias ao Minuto biased? Our profile of this outlet
- U.S. Closes Agreement for Accelerated Production of Critical Weapons (opens Gazeta Do Povo in a new tab)
Gazeta Do Povo — is Gazeta Do Povo biased? Our profile of this outlet
- The Trump Administration Steps on the Arms Race: Allocating Nearly $20 Billion to Boost Tomahawk Missile Production (opens gaceta.es in a new tab)
- The US Is Accelerating the Expansion of Its Weapons Arsenal; Raytheon Wins a Major Contract for Tomahawk Cruise Missiles. (opens 大纪元 Epoch Times in a new tab)
大纪元 Epoch Times — is 大纪元 Epoch Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- The Pentagon Signed a $23 Billion Contract for the Accelerated Production of Tomahawks (opens vijesti.me in a new tab)
vijesti.me — is vijesti.me biased? Our profile of this outlet
- US to Increase Annual Production of Tomahawk Missiles to More than 1,000 Units per Year (opens Unknown in a new tab)
Unknown
- US to Increase Tomahawk Missile Production More than 16 Times (opens Unknown in a new tab)
Unknown
Show 4 more
- Pentagon inks Tomahawk deal amid reports of missile shortfall (opens rtl.lu in a new tab)
- US Plans to Dramatically Increase Production of Tomahawk Missiles (opens Unknown in a new tab)
Unknown
- US Announces Accelerated Production of $23 Billion in Tomahawk Missiles (opens CNN Brasil in a new tab)
CNN Brasil — is CNN Brasil biased? Our profile of this outlet
- US Navy Awards Raytheon a Millionaire Contract to Produce Tomahawk Missiles (opens El Economista in a new tab)
El Economista — is El Economista biased? Our profile of this outlet
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover US awards $22.9bn Raytheon contract to accelerate Tomahawk missile…?
- Of the 29 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 14% are rated left, 38% are rated centre, 48% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 41. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is US awards $22.9bn Raytheon contract to accelerate Tomahawk missile… left or right?
- Neither side dominates it. Of the 29 rated outlets on this story, 14% are rated left, 38% are rated centre, 48% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
- Is the coverage of US awards $22.9bn Raytheon contract to accelerate Tomahawk missile… biased?
- US awards $22.9bn Raytheon contract to accelerate Tomahawk missile production is one event reported by 41 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting US awards $22.9bn Raytheon contract to accelerate Tomahawk missile…?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated left had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered US awards $22.9bn Raytheon contract to accelerate Tomahawk missile…?
- 41 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- How much is the Raytheon contract worth?
- The US Department of Defense awarded Raytheon a $22.9 billion contract to accelerate Tomahawk missile production. Some outlets rounded the figure to $23 billion, but the official value is $22.9 billion. The deal spans seven years and aims to increase annual output to over 1,000 units.
- Why is the US increasing Tomahawk missile production?
- The US is increasing Tomahawk missile production to address depleted stockpiles due to the conflict with Iran, which began in February 2026. The Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated that US stocks of Patriot and THAAD interceptors have been roughly halved since the war started.
- Which outlets reported the CSIS estimate of halved missile stocks?
- Only rthk.hk, a left-rated outlet, included the CSIS estimate that US stocks of Patriot and THAAD interceptors have been roughly halved since the war with Iran began. None of the centre-rated or right-rated digests mentioned this detail.
- What did Acting US Navy Secretary Hung Cao say about the contract?
- Hung Cao said the contract would 'accelerate Tomahawk missile delivery to our warfighters at unprecedented speed'. He also stated that guaranteeing naval and joint forces have the 'lethal firepower they need to deter aggression and protect the homeland is paramount'.
How did this read?
About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.
