Navy Requests Supplemental Funding for Middle East Carrier Operations Costing $29 Billion

U.S. Navy will run into financial limitations for training and exercises starting in the July timeframe due to the current pace of operations, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle told lawmakers on the House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday.

“I will have to start making decisions to change training, operations, certification, events, those type of things we do to generate our force in the July timeframe,” Adm. Daryl Caudle stated. The Navy currently has two aircraft carriers deployed to the Middle East.

Caudle confirmed that funds for current Navy operations in the Middle East would come from a defense supplemental. Rep. , chair of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, stated on Tuesday that the defense supplemental must be sent to lawmakers as soon as possible.

“I don’t know who’s making this final decision to get the supplemental over here, but we need to get it over here. Both sides need to look at it. Obviously, the Senate needs to look at it. It’s going to take some time.

And at the same time, we’re going to be doing the base bill for defense appropriations. But it seems to me, based on what you just told me, that we’re going to need to do the supplemental first and get this funded as quickly as possible,” Rep. Ken Calvert stated.

Costs from Operation Epic Fury in the Middle East have climbed to $29 billion, Pentagon acting comptroller Jules “Jay” Hurst told lawmakers on the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday. S. Sailors launched an F/A-18E Super Hornet from the flight deck of USS Gerald R.

Ford while operating in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea in support of Operation Epic Fury on March 2, 2026. Ford will likely require more maintenance once it returns home from its nearly 11-month deployment.

The USS Gerald R. A standard deployment for the USS Gerald R. Ford is seven months. “For every 30 days that the ship is extended on deployment, it adds 6 percent of maintenance, so five months extra would add 30 percent for maintenance,” Hung Cao stated.

The extended deployment comes as the Navy sustains two carriers in the Middle East, driving the financial pressures outlined by Caudle. Separately, Tui has seen a 10% fall in revenue from summer holiday bookings made by UK customers. Tui customers have become more cautious due to the Iran war.

Tui noted a shift in demand from Eastern to Western Mediterranean destinations and customers booking trips closer to departure dates. Tui is cutting the number of seats it purchases from its airline partners by 4-5% over the summer while maintaining its own flying programme at current levels. Tui chief executive Sebastien Ebel said he does not expect jet fuel shortages over the coming weeks.

Tui reported a €40m hit to profits due to the Middle East conflict in its results for the first three months of the year. Tui reported an underlying loss before interest and tax of €188m for the first three months of the year. Tui's underlying loss before interest and tax improved from a €207m loss in the same quarter last year.

Tui reported an overall 7% fall in revenue from bookings for this summer compared with last year.