Can Tomahawk missiles change course of war in Ukraine? Military analyst responds

The potential supply of long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine would give the Armed Forces a tactical advantage, but would not change the course of the war unless supplied in large numbers.

This assessment was made by military analyst Oleksiy Hetman, a retired major and veteran of the Russia-Ukraine war, on the air of KYIV24.

According to him, missiles like the Tomahawk pay off only when used in mass strikes involving large volumes of munitions. A small number would have more of a symbolic or political effect than decisive military significance.

«As the Institute for the Study of War has said, it will provide some advantages on the front line, but for these [missiles] to change the course of the war — that is unlikely… The thing is, you need a large quantity of them, ” Hetman noted.

He cited the historical example of Operation Desert Storm, when about 280 Tomahawks were launched in a week to displace Saddam Hussein’s forces. He also sharply criticised the political rhetoric about supplying the missiles without permission on their use:

«If there are just a few Tomahawks, and if they’re meant to sit in a cupboard like crystal glasses… to scare Putin or… What kind of idiocy is this?»

Thus, the key for Ukraine lies in developing its own serial production of long-range missiles.