Question: How much is this pre-war deterrence posture costing the U.S.? Answer: $1 billion a month. Two carrier groups – USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford – cost approximately $15 million per day. If sustained for a month the cost would be around $450 million.

Then there are aircraft operating costs. An F-35 averages roughly $35,000 per flight hour. An F-15 costs about $27,000 per hour. A B-2 bomber can exceed $150,000 per hour. A KC-135 tanker runs near $25,000 per hour, and a P-8 maritime patrol aircraft around $40,000 per hour. With dozens of aircraft repositioning and flying daily across Europe and the Middle East, a conservative blended estimate points to $5–10 million per day, or approximately $150–300 million per month.

Forward base operations at Al Udeid in Qatar, Ramstein in Germany, facilities in Jordan, and sustained naval activity in the Strait of Hormuz increase daily........

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