The U.S. Department of Defense, commonly known as the Pentagon, has announced plans to allocate approximately $1.2 billion to maintain warships involved in military operations in the Red Sea.
This funding will also cover the replenishment of missile inventories used to counter Iranian attacks and those of its proxies, according to recent documents released online.
Two documents submitted to defense committees in Congress on September 6 outline the costs associated with maintaining an intensive military presence in the region.
These expenses are primarily aimed at addressing threats from drones and missiles launched by Iran and its allies, notably the Houthi group in Yemen.
Defense Budget Breakdown
The Pentagon will dedicate around $190 million to restock the “Standard Missile-3 Block 1B” naval missiles, manufactured by RTX Corporation.
An additional $8.5 million is allocated to purchase more AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles, which are air-to-air missiles equipped with a thermal seeker.
The largest portion of the planned expenditure, amounting to $300 million, is earmarked for unplanned maintenance of ship warehouses, including the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan and other vessels of the USS Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, which have conducted operations in the Red Sea.
The documents reveal that the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran has significantly increased oil shipping costs and boosted the stock values of shipping companies, indicating a rush by traders to secure crude oil supplies urgently.
Furthermore, $16,000 has been set aside to restock defensive flares used in self-defense operations—a seemingly minor cost vital for supporting U.S. air and maritime defenses.
In related developments, the Israeli air defenses, supported by the US, the UK, and other nations, successfully countered an Iranian attack involving around 300 drones and missiles in April.
Additional Defense Requests
The documents also include requests for an additional $276 million to purchase more “Standard Missile-6” missiles, alongside $57.3 million for Tomahawk cruise missiles.
A further $6.7 million will go towards acquiring Sea Sparrow missiles for self-defense. All these weapons are produced by RTX Corporation.
At the same time, the Pentagon will spend $25 million to purchase guidance systems for the “JDAM-GPS” produced by Boeing, along with $7.4 million for Small Diameter Bombs.
Another $25 million is allocated to “increase production sources” of Standard Missiles to enhance the Pentagon’s response to the current situation in Israel.
