[Newsbot]

Title: Afghanistan mission to cost $28B, group says
Category: Misc CDN
Posted By: Hyack
Date: 2008-10-08 19:39:24
Canadian

[Scape]

Is that for the whole war thus far to date?

[Hyack]

This isn't the official report, but what they said is the mission will cost the government $20.7 billion by 2011. So I guess they mean the whole cost of the mission.

[Scape]

Hmm... I wonder what the number crunchers will make of this. Like how this compares to other missions and whatnot. I would think at least half of this mission cost would be just getting the CAF back in fighting form, an investment more to Canada's security then for Afghanistan. One that will have lasting impact and beneficial. Still this is no live fire ex this is the real deal. Lets hope the after action reports show valuable lessons on how to improve. May biggest concern is have we over extend by trying to once again punch above our weight.

[Thanos]

Another good example of how horribly expensive supply and logistics for modern militaries can be. I do imagine though that if the CF had been kept in updated condition over the past thirty years rather than being allowed to rot on the vine by all our crappy governments for far too long that the cost of Afghanistan would have been much less than it's turning out to be. Those emergency last-minute supply purchases would have been much less expensive if they were bought over a properly scheduled timespan rather than willy-nilly in the middle of a combat situation.

[Canadaka]

and Harper said it was only 8billion from 2002-2008?

Actually 28 billion still seems kinda low to me, not as much as I had though it would be.

[RUEZ]

Canadaka Canadaka:

and Harper said it was only 8billion from 2002-2008?

Actually 28 billion still seems kinda low to me, not as much as I had though it would be.

They are actually claiming the cost is 20 billion. They are tacking on another 8 billion in losses to the economy due to the soldiers deaths.

[Scape]

The report(pdf)

Only $1.3 Billion of that $28 Billion total by 2011 will be for aid. The bulk is supplies and wages.

$1:

• Department of National Defence spending on UN peacekeeping in this fiscal year, FY2008-09, is 83 percent lower than it was the year before the Afghanistan War started in 2001.
• In FY2006-07, as Department of National Defence spending on UN peacekeeping dropped to $8.5 million,
the lowest level in at least a decade, Afghanistan spending increased by a whopping $1.0 billion in one
year. The following year Afghanistan spending increased another $500 million.

From the other report there are some interesting highlights as well:

$1:

- $7 billion for the cost of the war. This is the incremental cost from late 2001 to 2012. It includes everything from ammunition and fuel to the salaries of reservists and contractors. It does not include the salaries of regular force military personnel.

- $11 billion is the estimated future bill for Veterans Affairs and DND for long-term health care of veterans and related benefits, as well as having to deal with post-traumatic stress disorder among troops.

- $2 billion for the purchase of mission-specific equipment. That includes everything from Leopard tanks, howitzers and counter-mine vehicles, to aerial drones and six Chinook helicopters. The figure didn't include the latest $95 million lease for additional aerial drones.

- $2 billion for the replacement of the military's LAV-3 fleet.

- $405 million for repair and overhaul costs.