By 1970, the CIA's Operation Momentum in Laos cost $500 million annually, equivalent to about $3.3 billion in today's dollars.
Notes on verification
Corroborated by CFR, Forbes, and Nikkei Asia sources, all citing the same $500 million annual figure for 1970 and consistent inflation-adjusted equivalent (~$3.3 billion), derived from Joshua Kurlantzick's book 'A Great Place to Have a War'. [tier=unverified indep_score=0.3 clusters=2 claim_tier=notable] [rescored 2026-09-15: curated origin-host map (PR #65); unclassified hosts no longer scored as aggregators]
Sources
- Kurlantzick Chronicles the U.S. Secret War in Laos and Creation of a ... (seed:military_and_intelligence)
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/jplehmann/2017/03/01/covert-war-in-laos/ (corroboration)
- https://asia.nikkei.com/Viewpoints/Joshua-Kurlantzick/Troubling-legacy-of-a-forgotten-war-haunts-Laos (corroboration)