How much does a Tomahawk missile cost? Here's what the US spent on its Syria strike.

Launching this missile comes at a hefty price. 

On Thursday, President Donald Trump launched a missile attack against Syrian government forces in response to a chemical attack in Khan Sheikhoun that killed over 70 people. 

A U.S. official told NBC that 59 Tomahawk missiles were fired into an airfield near Homs.

The Tomahawk

According to the U.S. Navy, each Tomahawk missile cost about $569,000 in 1999. Nowadays, that's equal to $832,000, CNN reported.  

One CNN military analyst called the Tomahawk, which was first used in 1991 during Operation Desert Storm, a good choice of missile for the attack. 

"This is what the Tomahawk was made for," retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Rick Francona told CNN. "It gets in there low level and hits these fixed facilities with no risk to an air crew." 

The missiles weigh anywhere from 2,900 to 3,500 pounds and can travel distances of 800 to 1,500 miles.

The missiles don't move in a straight line to avoid being shot down and they fly low to the ground to avoid radar, CNN reported.