ISIS mission: National Defence releases detailed cost breakdown

The Department of National Defence has released a detailed breakdown of how $122.6 million will be spent during the Iraq mission's first six months.

Of the $139.6 million requested for military operations,Defence Minister JasonKenneysaid Thursday approximately $122.6 million is for the first six months ofOperation Impact.

That figure includes:

• Just over $73.5 million for aircraft maintenance, fuel and operation, and ammunition.
• Around $34.1 million for meals and accommodation.
• More than $8.8 million for "allowances" for around 600 of the people who aredeployed, including hardship and risk allowances plus the government-mandated benefit program.
• $2.2 million for "other personnel-related costs," including meals and transportation for people to and from where they're deployed.
• Just under $550,000 for vehicles.
• Around $3.3 million for "other costs" includingcamp setup, local purchases and other "miscellaneous amenities."

The other $17 million is for Operation Reassurance, which is Canada's contribution to the NATO Ukraine mission.

"This is not a guesstimate those are the funds that we require for supplementary pay, for fuel, for operating cost and all incremental costs associated with Operation Impact,"Kenneysaid Thursday.

"If we were to wrap up the mission and bring people home there would be additional costs in terms of the mission and if we were to extend the mission,obviously additional costs."

Earlier this week, the Parliamentary Budget Office said the cost of Operation Impact over that same six-month periodcould be anywhere from $128.8 million to $166.4 million.

ISIS IED factory destroyed

Later in the day, the military gave a briefing on the Canadian role in the international coalition to fight ISIS in Iraq.

Capt. Paul Forget of the Royal Canadian Navysaid Canadian CF-18 aircraft carried out one airstrike over the last week, destroying an ISIS weapons factory in the province of Anbaron Feb. 13.

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When asked about why there was only one airstrike when the same briefing mentioned other offensives by Iraqi forces, Forget said you can't measure success by the number of airstrikes Canada carries out as a part of the coalition.

"This was a Canadian-led strike with two other nations, which destroyed a significant [improvised explosive device] factory," he said.

"Really we need to be focused more on results here, degrading [ISIS's] ability to utilize any IEDs either against the civilian population or against Iraqi security forces is nothing to be shunned upon."

Previous briefings havedetailed Canadian airstrikes and times when special forces have come under fire, along with the military's views on how ISIS has been affected by the international coalition's work