Editing Operation Cyclone (section)

===Funding and Scale===
Initial funding in 1979 was modest, but by the mid-1980s, the program’s budget reached $630 million annually, with total U.S. spending estimated at $3–6 billion over its duration. Saudi Arabia matched U.S. contributions dollar-for-dollar, and other countries, including China, the UK, and Egypt, provided additional support.

Funds were used to purchase weapons, including AK-47s, mortars, rocket-propelled grenades, and, starting in 1986, Stinger missiles, which significantly enhanced the mujahideen’s ability to counter Soviet air superiority.