Transportation expenses and massive munitions use in Afghanistan force Danish Defence Command to adjust their budget

Unforeseen expenses in the Afghanistan military effort have coerced the defence forces to entertain significant cutbacks.

The cost of Denmark’s participation in Afghanistan has tripled in the last two years from 353 million kroner to over 1 billion kroner.

Officially the war is expected to cost an additional billion kroner this year, but according to Politiken newspaper, the defence command has calculated that expenses will actually be 300 million kroner more than that. Other sources indicate costs to be 500 million kroner more this year.

Defence Command is obliged to cover any extra costs and head of the command, general Knud Bartels has predicted considerable cutbacks.

Politiken has obtained an email in which Bartels writes that the cutbacks are necessary as the defence forces’ finances are under pressure.

‘Expenditure for international missions is above the average level that was indicated in the defence budget,’ he wrote.

Along with munitions costs and transportation expenses, escalating wages and pension payments are also contributing to the rising costs accumulated in the war in Afghanistan.