A recent report from the Congressional Research Service indicates that since the onset of the war in Iran, the US has experienced losses or damage to at least 81 military aircraft, amounting to a staggering $3.3 billion.
These losses include some top-tier warplanes, such as a F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter, which was damaged, and 12 F-15E Strike Eagle fighters that were either destroyed or sustained damage.
Notably, on March 2, three F-15 jets—each valued at over $30 million—were downed by friendly fire over Kuwait, while another was shot down over Iran the following month.
Interestingly, eight other F-15Es suffered minor damage due to airstrikes by Iran on the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan on September 9 and 10. Thankfully, those damaged aircraft have reportedly been repaired and returned to service.
Alongside these losses, at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones—estimated to cost between $30 and $50 million each—were also lost. As a result, the fleet of these versatile drones, useful for both surveillance and missile strikes, has dwindled to 135 aircraft, as highlighted by an Air Force general’s testimony to the Senate in May.
The Air Force is supposed to maintain a minimum of 189 deployable Reaper drones at all times, according to the Air Force Times.
Following the developments in the war in Iran:
The analysis further pointed out that a fifth-generation F-34A, which is valued at more than $92 million, was damaged after coming under fire from Iran on March 19.
Additionally, one E-3 Sentry surveillance plane, worth $270 million—an older but critical platform built on the Boeing 707—was also reported as lost. The Air Force operated 32 of these planes as recently as 2015.
Moreover, an A-10 Thunderbolt II ground-attack aircraft was lost in April, alongside another that was damaged in the September attack in Jordan.
Total aircraft losses and damages in the Iran war:
- 12 F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets
- One F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter
- Two A-10 “Warthog” attack jets
- Seven KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft
- One E-3 Sentry spy plane
- 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 Sea Hawk maritime helicopter
Just last month, US Central Command reported that the total cost of the conflict in Iran had risen to $43.6 billion—a $5 billion increase since August.
Meanwhile, weapon costs surged by over $6 billion in just a little more than a month, climbing from $21.7 billion noted in the latest Congressional Budget Office report to $28.1 billion in the estimates from US Central Command.
The Pentagon and the White House have yet to provide comments regarding these developments as of Tuesday.
