Libya Costs

U.S. military operations in Libya have cost roughly $550 million to date, Pentagon spokeswoman Cmdr. Kathleen Kesler said today.

"DOD has incurred added costs of about $550 million from the start of operations through March 28," she said. "About 60 percent of these added costs are for munitions; the remaining costs are for higher operating tempo of U.S. forces and deployment costs."

While the Pentagon anticipates future costs tied to the operation, the ultimate cost to the department remains unclear.

"Future costs are highly uncertain," Kesler said. "However, we expect to incur added costs of about $40 million over the next three weeks as U.S. forces are reduced and NATO assumes more responsibility. After that, if U.S. forces stay at the levels currently planned and the operation continues, we would incur added costs of about $40 million per month."