Will Ukraine Get Tomahawks: What Is Really Known and How This Could Change the War
The phone conversation between US President Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky once again brought to the forefront the question of supplying Ukraine with long-range, high-precision weapons. Among the loudest speculations is the possibility of receiving American Tomahawk cruise missiles, but as of now, there are no official confirmations.
On Saturday, October 11, a phone conversation took place between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Officially, according to the statement from the Office of the President, they discussed issues of bilateral cooperation and security support, particularly strengthening Ukraine’s air defense system.
“Today I had a phone conversation with US President Donald Trump… We discussed the possibilities for strengthening Ukraine’s air defense system, issues of bilateral cooperation and security support,” Zelensky reported.
At the same time, according to Axios, citing two informed sources, during this conversation the parties allegedly considered the possibility of transferring Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine. According to these same sources, no final decision on the supply has been made, and the call lasted about 30 minutes.
Importantly: the information about Tomahawks is based solely on the Axios report from anonymous sources. No official from the US or Ukraine has confirmed this detail of the conversation.
Why “Tomahawk” Is a Special Scenario
Tomahawk cruise missiles are high-precision American weapons with a range of over 1,600 km. Their supply could significantly expand the Armed Forces of Ukraine’s ability to strike strategic targets deep behind enemy lines, including military logistics, depots, command centers, and the adversary’s critical infrastructure.
To date, Tomahawks have not been supplied to any country outside of the US’s closest alliance, and even NATO partners have received them in limited quantities and only after special agreements. For Ukraine, this would be an unprecedented decision and a strong signal of support from Washington.
Can Ukraine Use Tomahawks: Technical Details
An important aspect is technical feasibility. Tomahawk launches require specialized platforms or carriers. In practice, these missiles are launched from Arleigh Burke-class ships, submarines, or adapted land-based platforms, such as the M142 HIMARS or previously retired systems like the Tactical Tomahawk Weapon Control System (TTWCS).
There is currently no official or even expert information in the public domain about the Ukrainian Armed Forces possessing suitable launchers for Tomahawks.
Neither side, in their public comments, mentioned the possibility of launching them from existing Ukrainian systems, such as HIMARS or Storm Shadow/SCALP. This means that, if a decision is made to transfer, the issue of either providing launchers or adapting existing platforms would have to be resolved.
The Experience of Other Countries and Analogies
So far, even the closest US allies such as the United Kingdom, Japan, and Australia have received Tomahawks with major restrictions and under strict political conditions. This has always been accompanied by lengthy negotiations and the transfer of some launcher platforms.
There is no example in modern history of Tomahawks being transferred directly to a country that does not have its own launchers. If Ukraine receives the missiles, it will either have to integrate them into its existing weapons system or receive launchers at the same time, which complicates and prolongs the process.
What Is Happening in the Arms Market: Ukrainian Engines for Turkish Missiles
At the same time, Ukraine is actively participating in the creation of new cruise missiles for Turkey. The Zaporizhzhia-based Ivchenko-Progress plant has signed contracts to supply AI-35 turbojet engines for Turkey’s Gezgin missile. According to the company’s director:
“We are making the AI-35 for the Turks. It’s for a cruise missile. We now have a contract signed for this engine,”said the director of Ivchenko-Progress.
According to open sources, it is expected that Gezgin will surpass other Turkish missiles (SOM, Atmaca) in characteristics and will become an analogue of the Tomahawk in terms of range and warhead. This highlights Ukraine’s growing role in the high-tech arms market.
Prospects and Risks of the Tomahawk Scenario
The potential transfer of Tomahawks to Ukraine is an unprecedented move that would radically change the capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Such missiles would enable strikes on the enemy’s strategic assets hundreds of kilometers behind the front line, reduce risks for personnel, and shift the balance of deterrence in Ukraine’s favor.
However, their use would require appropriate launcher systems or adaptation of existing ones without this, simply providing the missiles would not have an immediate effect. At the same time, as of now, there is no official information about a decision to transfer either the missiles or the launchers, and the only source of data is the Axios report citing anonymous sources.
Given the political sensitivity of the issue and the history of supplying such weapons to other countries, this scenario cannot be considered a done deal until official statements appear. Ukraine has the potential to master new technologies, but even if a decision is made, implementing such a project would require time, political will, and technical integration.
The Tomahawk scenario is, for now, only a potential option. If it is implemented, it will signal a new phase of military-technical support but will also require additional decisions on carriers and logistics.
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