US Loses Dozens Of Aircraft And Drones In Conflict With Iran

The US military has lost 25 aircraft, 49 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and seven helicopters since the start of the conflict with Iran.

According to the US Congressional Research Service (CRS), the losses include 15 F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets, one fifth-generation F-35C Lightning II fighter and two A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft destroyed during combat operations or incidents involving "friendly fire."

The US military also lost seven KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft, an E-3 Sentry AWACS airborne early warning and control aircraft, and an MC-130J aircraft that was destroyed by US forces during a search-and-rescue operation in Iran. Some of the losses were attributed to aviation accidents and Iranian strikes on US air bases.

During operations against Iran, the US military also lost at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper reconnaissance and strike drones, three MQ-1 multipurpose UAVs and one MQ-4C Triton maritime surveillance drone.

The Air Force is meant to have at least 189 deployable Reaper drones at any time, according to the Air Force Times.

The report notes that several analysts and US Defense Department officials have previously published varying estimates of the cost of replacing lost military equipment, including aircraft.

In September, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that replacing equipment lost as of August 1 could cost between $1.9 billion and $3.3 billion, depending on the Pentagon's plans for replacing the equipment.

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