81 US Military Aircraft Lost Or Damaged In Iran War, Estimated Cost $3.3 Billion
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
The United States has lost or damaged at least 81 military aircraft since the war in Iran began, with the combined losses estimated at up to $3.3 billion, according to a new Congressional Research Service report.
The losses include some of the US military’s most advanced aircraft, including an F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter, 12 F-15E Strike Eagle fighters and at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones.
F-15 Losses Include Friendly-Fire Shootdowns
Three F-15E Strike Eagles, each valued at more than $30 million, were shot down in a friendly-fire incident over Kuwait on March 2.
Another F-15E was shot down over Iran the following month.
Eight more F-15Es suffered minor damage during Iranian airstrikes on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan on September 9 and 10. The damaged fighters have since returned to service, according to the report.
45 MQ-9 Reapers Lost
The US has also lost at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones, each estimated to cost between $30 million and $50 million.
The losses reduced the Air Force's Reaper fleet to 135 aircraft, an Air Force general told the Senate in May. The Air Force is required to maintain at least 189 deployable Reapers, according to Air Force Times.
F-35, E-3 Sentry Among Major Losses
A fifth-generation F-35A Lightning II, valued at more than $92 million, was damaged after coming under Iranian fire on March 19.
The US also lost an E-3 Sentry airborne surveillance aircraft valued at around $270 million. The Air Force had 32 E-3s in operation as of 2015.
The losses also include two A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft, with one destroyed in April and another damaged during the September attack on Jordan.
Full List Of US Aircraft Lost Or Damaged
The Congressional Research Service report lists the following US military aircraft as lost or damaged during the Iran war:
- 12 F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets
- One F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter
- Two A-10 Thunderbolt II attack jets
- Seven KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refuelling aircraft
- One E-3 Sentry surveillance aircraft
- Two MC-130J Commando II special operations aircraft
- One HH-60W Jolly Green II combat search-and-rescue helicopter
- One MQ-4C Triton high-altitude, long-endurance drone
- Three MQ-1 multi-role drones
- One AH-64 Apache attack helicopter
- Four AH-6 Little Bird light attack helicopters
- One MH-60 Seahawk maritime helicopter
Iran War Costs Rise To $43.6 Billion
The aircraft losses come as the overall cost of the US war effort in Iran continues to climb.
US Central Command estimated last month that the total cost had reached $43.6 billion, around $5 billion higher than the August estimate.
Weapons expenditure also rose sharply, increasing from $21.7 billion in the latest Congressional Budget Office estimate to $28.1 billion in the Central Command assessment — an increase of more than $6 billion in just over a month.
