Military strikes in Libya costing UK taxpayer £3 million per day

The military strikes in Libya is costing the British taxpayer about £3 million a day, according to UK defense experts.

Overall, the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) estimated that the cost of the ongoing Libyan campaign might reach as high as £100 million in just four to six weeks.

The costs include Britain’s participation in the more than 120 cruise missiles which have been launched upon Libyan targets since bombardments began on Saturday – each missile firing costs more than £500,000 each.

However, is UK and western military officials are certain that Moammar Gaddafi’s air defense systems have been destroyed, more expensive missile launches might not be necessary.

Moreover, the cost of operating the Tornado GR4 and Typhoon aircraft amounts to £35,000 and £70,000 for every hour in the air, respectively, according to the UK Ministry of Defense (MOD).

According to media reports, Professor Malcolm Chalmers, fellow in British Security Policy at the RUSI, said he thinks the costs of maintaining the Libyan campaign will eventually decline.

“It is hard to see how you would keep up the same intensity of operations for six weeks,” he said.

“Either you have significantly destroyed Gaddafi’s military capability or he has found a way to hide it. In both cases I cannot see the same level of intensity of operations continuing in the longer term.”

Meanwhile, the MOD claims that its military operations in Libya have had a very real effect”

Ministry spokesman General John Lorimer said Gaddafi's assault on the rebel stronghold of Benghazi were stopped in its tracks.

Moreover, a majority of the House of Commons passed the government’s motion to support military actions in Libya.