Overview
- Defense officials told lawmakers the first six days cost at least $11.3 billion, and the White House’s economic adviser later cited about $12 billion spent to date.
- CENTCOM reports roughly 6,000 targets struck by March 12 after an opening week that leaned on high-cost Tomahawks, Patriots and THAAD before a pivot toward cheaper JDAMs.
- Munitions inventories are under pressure, with about 168 Tomahawks fired in roughly 100 hours and at least 11 MQ-9 Reaper drones reported lost.
- Energy prices have spiked, with Brent crude above $100 per barrel, U.S. gasoline averaging $3.79 a gallon, and diesel above $5.
- The Pentagon is expected to seek a supplemental funding package as lawmakers press for detailed cost and force disclosures and outside estimates warn of potential long-term costs reaching into the hundreds of billions to trillions.