A Royal Air Force movements section loads Storm Shadow missiles into a Hercules aircraft for transport from Gioia del Colle, Italy, to the UK at the end of Operation ELLAMY
[Picture: Senior Aircraftwoman Tracey Dobson, Crown Copyright/MOD 2011]
In a Written Ministerial Statement to Parliament, Mr Hammond said:
"I have previously informed the House that I would provide a final estimate of the cost of operations in Libya in early December. We estimate that the net additional cost of Operation ELLAMY will be £212 million."
Speaking earlier today at the Royal United Services Institute in London, the Defence Secretary said:
"This is almost a third lower than the estimate my predecessor provided to Parliament in October - this is due to the speed with which operations were concluded and a reassessment of the cost of replenishing munitions used; a successful outcome in every respect."
The fully audited cost of Operation ELLAMY will be published in the Ministry of Defence's annual report and accounts.
As previously announced, the additional costs incurred by the Ministry of Defence on Operation ELLAMY will be borne by the Treasury Reserve, and are in addition to the core Defence Budget.