US suffers $3.3B in aircraft and drone losses in Iran conflict: CRS report

The US has lost 81 aircraft and drones during the ongoing conflict with Iran since February, and the cost of replacing them is a staggering 3.3 billion dollars, according to a Congressional Research Service (CRS) report.

The losses include some of the US military’s most advanced aircraft, as well as surveillance, refuelling and unmanned systems that have played key roles in American operations during the conflict, the report said.

The report also indicated that the number could change because of ongoing combat activity, classification issues and questions over attribution. Some aircraft listed as damaged have also returned to service.

The $3.3 billion figure comes from a September Congressional Budget Office estimate of the cost of replacing equipment lost through August 1. The CBO put the replacement cost between $1.9 billion and $3.3 billion, depending on the Pentagon’s plans for replacing the equipment. The figure therefore covers equipment losses more broadly and is not a valuation of the 81 aircraft alone.

Among the most significant losses are 12 F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets, one F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter, an E-3 Sentry surveillance aircraft and dozens of MQ-9 Reaper drones.

The US lost or damaged 12 F-15E Strike Eagles during the war. Three of the fighter jets, each valued at more than $30 million, were reportedly shot down in what the US claimed as friendly-fire incidents over Kuwait on March 2. Another F-15E was shot down over Iran the following month.

Eight additional F-15Es sustained minor damage during Iranian airstrikes on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan on September 9 and 10. The damaged aircraft have since returned to service, according to the report.

The F-15E Strike Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather fighter capable of carrying out both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions and has been a key component of US air operations in the region.

The largest category of losses involves unmanned aircraft. At least 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones have been lost, according to the CRS analysis. Each Reaper is estimated to cost between $30 million and $50 million, depending on its configuration and equipment.

The MQ-9 is used extensively for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions and can also carry out precision strikes.

The scale of the losses has affected the size of the US Reaper fleet. An Air Force general told the Senate in May that the number of operational Reapers had fallen to 135.

The CRS report also highlighted damage to an F-35A Lightning II, one of the most sophisticated fighter aircraft in the US arsenal. The fifth-generation stealth fighter, valued at more than $92 million, was damaged after coming under Iranian fire on March 19.

The F-35 combines stealth capabilities with advanced sensors, electronic warfare systems, and networked battlefield capabilities, making even a single aircraft loss or major repair costly for the US military.

Another major loss was an E-3 Sentry airborne early warning and control aircraft, estimated at about $270 million. The E-3 is based on the Boeing 707 airframe and serves as an airborne command-and-control and surveillance platform. Despite its age, it remains an important component of US air operations. The US had 32 E-3 aircraft in operation as of 2015, according to the Air Force.

The loss of one such aircraft therefore represents not only a substantial financial cost but also a reduction in the military’s limited fleet of specialised airborne surveillance platforms.

The US military has also lost or damaged other aircraft used to support combat operations.

The CRS list includes two A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft, commonly known as Warthogs. One was lost in April, while another was damaged during the September attack on the Jordanian air base.

Seven KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refuelling aircraft are also included in the list. The KC-135 provides critical mid-air refuelling capabilities that allow US fighters and other aircraft to operate over long distances.

The losses also include special operations and combat-rescue aircraft: two MC-130J Commando II aircraft and one HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter.

Several unmanned and rotary-wing aircraft have also been lost, including an MQ-4C Triton, three MQ-1 drones, one AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, four AH-6 Little Bird helicopters and one MH-60 Sea Hawk.

The figures underline the scale of the material losses suffered by the US military during the conflict. While some damaged aircraft have been repaired and returned to service, the destruction of high-value combat aircraft, specialised surveillance platforms and large numbers of drones has placed a substantial financial and operational burden on the US military.