The colossal price to fly a pair of B-2 bombers to hit two ISIS camps in Libya

[FarCenter]

WASHINGTON — On Wednesday evening, a pair of US Air Force B-2 Spirit bombers carried out air strikes against the Islamic State in Libya, US defense officials said on Thursday.

The Spirit of Pennsylvania and Spirit of Georgia, bombers attached to the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, dropped more than 100 precision-guided munitions on two Islamic State camps approximately 28 miles southwest of Sirte.

When asked why the B-2, the world's most technologically-advanced strategic bomber was selected for this particular mission, which killed approximately 80 Islamic State fighters, US Air Force spokesman Col. Patrick Ryder said it gave "military commanders options."

...

The price tag of Wednesday's mission was colossal.

The pair of B-2s flew for 34 hours at an operating cost of approximately $130,000 per flight hour. That comes out to roughly $4.4 million a piece or $8.8 million for the duo. Additionally, there were roughly 15 aerial refueling aircraft involved in the mission, not to mention the cost of 100 JDAMs.

http://www.businessinsider.com/b2-bomber-operating-cost-libya-air-strike-2017-1

[LanternWaste]

1. Given the R&D specific to the raid, the cost of the raid itself and the benefit resulting

Given the eighteen months of R&D specific to the raid, the cost of the raid itself, its casualties, and the ultimate benefits resulting, one may also (and relevantly) wonder how many editorials about colossal price tags were written in regards to Operation Chastise.

Without both assessing and analyzing result (benefit), investment (cost) as a standalone number is incomplete.

[rickford66]

2. Maybe it was cost effective.

It might cost more to maintain a closer base because of security and supplies etc. Just guessing. We probably can never know the real costs of anything.

[Bengus81]

3. Bet ISIS pulls some $hit this weekend since our President Farce

is "off" until Monday about 9am DC time.

[Blue_Tires]

4. I guess the B-1Bs are all committed to Syria or something?

Or maybe the B-2As got some new toys or upgrades for field testing? Or maybe the Air Force is sick and tired of hearing folks bitch and moan about drone warfare and went back to good old guided munitions deployed from manned aircraft by human pilots... No matter what the reason, this kind of bean counting is why we don't go to the moon anymore...

Besides, Trump's champagne tab this weekend will exceed $8.8m easily...

[braddy]

5. Perhaps this was combining training costs, with a combat mission as well, to derive cost and mission

benefit both.