The Washington Post reported: “The U.S. military operations in Libya will cost hundreds of millions of dollars and force Congress to seek help next week for the cash-strapped Pentagon, which is operating on a short-term funding resolution.”
Here are some figures to consider:
The 162 Tomahawk missiles launched at Libyan targets in the first four days of Operation Odyssey Dawn cost more than $1 million each and will eventually have to be replaced. The F-15E fighter plane that was lost to mechanical failure Tuesday cost about $30 million and more will be needed to replace it.
Fuel for the aircraft flying strikes, capturing intelligence and providing protection are costly, as are the tankers needed to refuel them in flight.
The number of sorties by coalition aircraft has grown exponentially. On Wednesday, Rear Adm. Gerard Hueber, chief of staff for Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn, told reporters that 175 sorties had taken place in the previous 24 hours, 113 by U.S. aircraft. In the first days of the operation, all coalition sorties numbered less than 80 a day.
Experts from the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment released a study estimating that a limited no-fly zone such as the one established over the major Libyan population areas could cost $30 million to $100 million a week.
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