Bloomberg: The Pentagon allocates $1.2 billion to maintain its military ships in the Red Sea

Bloomberg reported that the US Department of Defense, the Pentagon, will spend "about $1.2 billion to maintain ships deployed as part of its operations in the Red Sea, and to replenish stockpiles of missiles launched to repel attacks by Iran and its allies."

According to the US agency, the spending shown in two budget documents submitted to the defense committees in Congress helps shed light on the cost of maintaining an enhanced presence in the region, in addition to the cost of shooting down drones and missiles launched by Iran or its Houthi allies in Yemen.

About $190 million will be spent to replenish the stockpile of Standard-3 Block 1B sea-launched missiles from RTX, and about $8.5 million has been allocated to buy more AIM-X Sidewinder heat-seeking air-to-air missiles, according to the documents.

The bulk of the Pentagon’s projected spending over a full year of operations in the Middle East is $300 million for unplanned maintenance on the depots of the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan and ships of the USS Eisenhower strike group, which have conducted operations in the Red Sea, the Pentagon said in the documents.

The $300 million represents the bulk of the Pentagon’s projected spending for a full year of operations in the Middle East. The money will go toward maintaining the USS Bataan assault ship and ships in the USS Eisenhower carrier group, which have conducted operations in the Red Sea, the Pentagon said in the documents.

Israeli air defenses, with help from the United States, Britain and other countries, repelled a barrage of about 300 drones and missiles launched by Iran in April.

The spending is related to “costs incurred by the Department of Defense within the U.S. Central Command region in response to the situation in Israel, or to hostilities in the region, as a direct result of the situation in Israel,” one document says. Each Standard III Block AB missile costs between $9 million and $10 million.

Two Navy destroyers this week fired about a dozen Standard Missiles in defense of Israel after another wave of Iranian attacks, according to a Navy official who spoke on condition of anonymity. That means the U.S. assistance this week likely cost about $120 million.

The documents also reveal $276 million in orders for additional SM-6 Standard Missiles and $57.3 million for Tomahawk cruise missiles.

Another $6.7 million was allocated for the Enhanced Sea Sparrow self-defense missile. All of these weapons are manufactured by RTX.

The Pentagon will also spend $25 million on Boeing's GPS-Jdam guidance kits and $7.4 million on other small-diameter bombs.

Another $25 million will be allocated to “increase manufacturing resources” for the Standard missile, to support the Pentagon’s response to what it calls “the situation in Israel.”

The request includes $26.4 million to replace RTX's Coyote Block II drone interceptors, "which have been depleted since October 2023 to support the Department of Defense's response to the situation in Israel," the document said.

Another $20 million will be spent on BAE Systems PLC laser-guided Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System missiles.

Source: Bloomberg