FACT SHEET
 Prepared by the Center for Defense Information
 Ph: (202) 332-0600/Fax: (202) 462-4559
 
Col. Daniel Smith, USA (Ret.), Director of Research December 22, 1998
 

Cost of U.S. Military Action Against Iraq

The Center for Defense Information has developed a preliminary estimate of the costs of U.S. military operations against Iraq for December 16 - 20, 1998.

B-52: 6 hour flight time from Diego Garcia to ALCM release point and 6 hours return, @ $9,400 per hour,
14 combat configured aircraft (assume all crews would participate)=$1,579,200

B-52 Armament: 90 Air Launched Cruise Missiles @ $1 million per missile
(Configured 8 missiles on 3 planes, 6 on 11 planes)=$90,000,000

B-1: 3 hour flight time from Omani bases to target and 3 hour
return @ $13,300 per hour for 2 combat aircraft =$159,600

Tomahawk Cruise Missiles: 325 launched @ $1 million per missile=$325,000,000

Total Estimated Tactical Air Sorties: 2 hour (average) flight time
per sortie @ $5,712 per hour for 634 sorties (650 total sorties less
estimated 16 by B-1 and B-52) =$7,242,816

Cost of TACAIR Armaments: "Smart" munitions @ $100,000 per sortie
for 634 sorties =$63,400,000

Carrier Battle Groups Operations and Maintenance: @ $1 billion per year, or $2.74 million per day

Enterprise Battle Group only (4 days) =$10,096,000
Vinson Battle Group only (2 days) =$5,048,000

TOTAL FOR FOUR DAY OPERATION "DESERT FOX" =$502,525,616*
* Total does not include the costs of support aircraft flights (aerial tankers, aerial reconnaissance, munitions/other supplies) nor any participation by the USAF Air Expeditionary Force from the U.S. or F-117A aircraft.

NOTE: According to DoD, since the end of the Gulf War in 1991, monetary costs of crisis buildups and contingency operations in the Gulf, including patrolling the no-fly zones (Northern Watch and Southern Watch), have been approximately $7 billion.