FAS

Post-9/11 Costs of War Exceed $1.5 Trillion

08.29.18 | 1 min read | Text by Steven Aftergood

“Since September 11, 2001, the Department of Defense (DoD) has obligated $1,500.8 billion for war-related costs.”

That’s the headline from the latest report to Congress on the post-9/11 costs of war, according to the Pentagon’s own reckoning. See Cost of War Update as of March 31, 2018 (FY 2018, Quarter 2).

Independent estimates of military spending that use a broader definition of the term yield a considerably higher total.

The new DoD report provides a detailed retrospective account of post-9/11 military spending, broken down by theater (Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria), by fiscal year, and by military service. A copy was obtained by Secrecy News.

The fraction of war-related funds that were appropriated to DoD in the post-9/11 period for classified purposes totaled $88 billion, the report said.

The 76-page DoD report itself exemplifies a certain financial profligacy, with a price tag that is orders of magnitude higher than one might have supposed. “The cost to the Department of Defense to prepare and assemble this report is approximately $209,000 for FY 2018,” the document states.

publications
See all publications
Government Capacity
Press release
FAS Position on “Schedule PC” and Impact on Federal Scientists

If this proposed rule were enacted it would have deleterious effects on government workers in general and federal researchers and scientists, specifically.

05.20.25 | 3 min read
read more
Government Capacity
Blog
Proposed “Schedule Policy/Career” Rule is Open For Comment Now, and If Implemented Could Significantly Change How Decisions Are Made

When we introduce “at-will” employment to government employees, we also introduce the potential for environments where people are more concerned about self-preservation than service to others.

05.20.25 | 3 min read
read more
FAS
Policy Memo
Agenda for an American Renewal

There is no better time to re-invigorate America’s innovation edge by investing in R&D to create and capture “industries of the future,” re-shoring capital and expertise, and working closely with allies to expand our capabilities while safeguarding those technologies that are critical to our security.

05.15.25 | 13 min read
read more
Global Risk
Press release
Nuclear Notebook: Russian Nuclear Weapons 2025 Federation of American Scientists Unveils Comprehensive Analysis of Russia’s Nuclear Arsenal

Russia currently maintains nearly 5,460 nuclear warheads, with an estimated 1,718 deployed. This represents a slight decrease in total warheads from previous years but still positions Russia as the world’s largest nuclear power alongside the United States.

05.13.25 | 3 min read
read more