Iran war costs grow as key U.S. systems are knocked out
By: Colin Demarest (AXIOS)
The number of losses after a month of active combat are almost trivial. But the US reliance on high-tech systems makes the cost enormous. So far, the US has lost ~$5 billion worth of military assets. And that doesn't include non-combat damage to the USS Gerald R. Ford.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
The U.S. is dedicating significant amounts of firepower to the Middle East as it wrestles with Iran . Some of it — billions of dollars' worth, in fact — will not be returning.
Why it matters: The costs of Operation Epic Fury are mounting.
- Hundreds of American troops have been injured and 13 killed.
- Some exquisite weaponry, everything from stealth jets to radars, has been knocked out.
By the numbers: The incremental cost of the Iran war sat at $16.2-23.4 billion as of March 19, according to research published by the American Enterprise Institute.
- The high end includes costs associated with radar replacement at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar and some fixes to the Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, which last month suffered an hourslong laundry fire.
Among the other materiel either damaged or destroyed are:
- One Lockheed Martin F-35A
- One Boeing E-3 Sentry
- One RTX AN/TPY-2 radar
- Three Boeing F-15E Strike Eagles
- Multiple Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers
- Multiple General Atomics MQ-9 Reapers
What they're saying: Regarding "air wings and airframes, there's some things adversaries are doing to provide info and intel they shouldn't. We're aware of it," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a Tuesday briefing.
- "Ultimately, we move things around. One of the biggest principles you learn in the military is to not set predictable patterns," he added.
- "Commanders are working hard to adjust, in real time, with those systems and make sure they're in the right places and not easily targetable."
The other side: The U.S. has also expended more than 850 Tomahawk missiles , launched by surface ships and submarines.
- "We've shot a lot of munitions," Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle said at a separate CSIS event. "The munitions have taken a hit."
- Maker RTX in February said it would surge production to 1,000-plus annually.
The big picture: Six in 10 Americans disapprove of President Trump's handling of the conflict, according to a Pew survey .
- A little more than half believe the fight will continue for another six months.
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The reports $16.5 billion cost of the conflict with Iran does not include the loss of military assets. So we know the actual military cost of attacking Iran is now more than $21 billion. And the military costs do not include the $30 billion+ of damages caused by Iranian strikes.
At $50 billion+ the one month excursion has been expensive. The costs may grow rapidly if the US actually begins fighting a war.
The government is very generous with taxpayer money!