From
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/0..._n_840365.html
"In fiscal terms, at a time when Congress is fighting over every dollar, the cruise missile show of military might was an expenditure of nearly a quarter of a billion dollars. Each missile cost $1.41 million, close to three times the cost listed on the Navy’s website".
"Raytheon Corp. is the manufacturer of the Tomahawk Block IV, a low-flying missile that travels at 550 miles per hour. During a decade of war in Afghanistan, Iraq, and now Libya, the Pentagon has increasingly relied on the Tomahawk. A year ago, Raytheon boasted of its 2,000th Block IV delivery to the Navy".
"With $25 billion in revenues and $1.84 billion in profits companywide in 2010, Raytheon is one of the five largest defense contractors and has benefited from the military’s increasing reliance on cruise missiles. Missile sales have also been paralleled by its lobbying effort. Raytheon, now the world’s biggest producer of guided-missiles, spent just shy of $7 million on congressional lobbying in 2010, compared to $2.32 million a decade earlier, according to the Center for Responsive Politics’ OpenSecrets.org".
"Raytheon has liberally sprinkled campaign contributions across Congress, including more than $2.1 million in 2009-2010. The contributions were balanced between parties, with 53 percent going to Democrats and 46 percent to Republican candidates, according to OpenSecrets".
"Even in an era of staggering weapons costs, the price tag for a Tomahawk stands out because it’s only used once".