Pug
We may have to agree to disagree. The land-based support you refer to tends to be theatre product from true national assets like the EC/RC135s, and LRMP by P3. The AAR aspect is heavily used when you're supporting OEF from the IO, or in other combat ops, but not necessarily in normal presence deployments. We don't have access to those assets nationally, but we could probably get support / the product from those US (or FR!?) units deployed in the Med.
There will be an increased consumables bill for the ships and probably the aircraft (as fuel dump to optimise landing weight will be needed), but other than that no reason to suspect that there will be massive cost differentials. People are paid for, ships and aircraft paid for (a/c will be flying possibly at a higher rate), no 5* hotel bills (
) - what's not to like?