UK will have spent at least £25m, with bombs and missiles accounting for the bulk of the operational costs
Military operations in Libya have cost "hundreds of millions of dollars" so far, Nato's Supreme Allied Commander, Admiral James Stavridis, said yesterday in evidence to the US Senate.
American officials said the military intervention has cost the Pentagon an extra $550m with bombs and missiles accounting for most. Of the additional spending, about 60% was "for munitions, the remaining costs are for higher operating tempo" of US forces and of getting them there, Commander Kathleen Kesler, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said.
There are no official figures for the UK share of the cost, but at least £25m will have been spent by British forces, most accounted for by weapons.
As of Monday, the 10th day of the intervention, the US had launched 192 long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles from Mediterranean naval positions at a cost of about $1m to $1.5m each. The US had also flown 983 sorties, 370 of those bombing missions against Gaddafi military sites and forces.
The same proportions apply to Britain, though the MoD has not yet given any figures. David Cameron told the Commons on Monday that UK aircraft had flown 120 missions during 250 flying hours. Seven Tomahawk missiles have been fired from HMS Triumph.