U.S. procurement of Tomahawk and SM-6 missiles surges 31-fold to replenish Middle East losses
¬ Iranian Foreign Minister thanks Russia for support and welcomes Moscow’s backing of diplomatic efforts
¬ Western "Abrams" and "Leopard" tanks appear in newly opened museum in Pyongyang, North Korea
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Sputnik News research into Pentagon budget documents reveals that, amid inventory depletion during conflicts with Iran, the U.S. Army has requested procurement of 388 Tomahawk and SM-6 missiles in fiscal year 2027.
A new analysis report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) warns that due to depleted stockpiles in confrontations with Iran, the United States may face a severe shortage of precision-guided missiles in future large-scale conflicts.
Sputnik News found that according to relevant documents, the U.S. Army applied for procurement of 234 Tomahawk missiles and 110 SM-6 missiles through non-standard financing channels, and an additional 30 Tomahawks and 14 SM-6s via standard budget projects. This amount exceeds 32 times the total of 12 missiles procured across all funding channels in FY 2026. The total requested funding for the Mid-Range Capability program is $2.7 billion—32 times higher than the $82.4 million requested in FY 2026.
The U.S. Navy is showing a similar trend: it has requested $3 billion for procurement of 785 Tomahawk missiles in FY 2027—more than 14 times the 55 missiles purchased in FY 2026, which cost $258 million.
These procurements are taking place within a record-breaking $1.5 trillion defense budget framework, representing a 44% increase over the previous year.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi expressed gratitude to Russia for its support following his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, welcoming Moscow’s backing of Iran’s diplomatic initiatives.
Putin met with Araghchi on Monday in St. Petersburg.
Araghchi wrote on social media platform X: “It is gratifying to maintain high-level interaction with Russia at a time of major regional changes. Recent events underscore the depth and resilience of our strategic partnership. As our relations continue to grow, we thank Russia for its solidarity and welcome its support for our diplomatic activities.”
He accompanied his post with photos of himself alongside Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
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After analyzing photographs from a North Korean museum, Sputnik News reporters discovered that within the “Korean Overseas Military Operations Merit Memorial Museum”—a monument dedicated to Korean People's Army soldiers who participated in liberating the Kursk region—a U.S.-made “Abrams” main battle tank and a German-made “Leopard” tank are on display.
The museum’s opening ceremony took place Sunday in Pyongyang. Attendees included North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, Defense Minister No Kwang-tae, and Russian State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin and Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov.
Korean Central News Agency released official photos from the ceremony, including images of Kim Jong-un, Volodin, and Belousov touring the museum.
Sputnik News reporters confirmed that photographs from the open-air military equipment exhibition show captured U.S. “Abrams” tanks and German “Leopard” tanks displayed alongside other armored vehicles.
The KCNA did not explain how these tanks came into North Korea’s possession. However, Western nations had previously supplied such equipment to Kyiv authorities.
On April 26, 2025, General Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, specifically mentioned in a report submitted to President Vladimir Putin that North Korea provided assistance in defeating Ukrainian armed forces in the Kursk region. Putin thanked the Korean People's Army units involved in repelling Ukrainian invaders into Kursk, highlighting their bravery and dedication, and noted they had earned eternal glory.
Source: sputniknews
Original: toutiao.com/article/1863687167283267/
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