The efforts made by the MoD to improve the level of protection provided to UK forces on the ground in Afghanistan has led to a major increase in the amount of money the MoD is having to ask from the Treasury this year.
Last November, the MoD said that it would need an additional £3.7billion to cover the costs of the wars in Iraq (£1.4b) and Afghanistan (£2.3b) this year.
Now in February the MoD has had to revise its forecast for 2008/09 to almost £4.6billion - that's 25% up on the figure of three month's ago.
These figures also represent a 50% increase on the costs for 2007/08.
The extra cash is not only needed for improved troop protection, particularly new armoured vehicles, but also to cover the likely cost of the equipment that will be left behind in Iraq when UK forces are withdrawn later in the year.
Of course this is just small change when compared with the amount of cash the Government has been spending to bail out its friends in the City.
The Telegraph: Cost of war in Iraq and Afghanistan rises to £4.5bn
also
The Times: British cost of Iraq and Afghanistan reaches £13bn
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