More than 80 US military aircraft have been damaged or destroyed in the war against Iran since it began in late February, resulting in billions of dollars in losses, a new congressional report has revealed.
The losses highlight how airspace has become a fiercely contested front for the US military. Unlike the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, where American forces generally operated with air superiority and suffered relatively few aircraft losses to enemy action, the war in Iran has exposed aircraft both in the air and on the ground to sustained missile and drone attacks.
The updated report from the Congressional Research Service, which was released this week, lists 81 aircraft that were lost or damaged in US operations against Iran since February 28.
The list includes fighter jets, refueling tankers, helicopters, airborne early warning aircraft, and special operations planes. Nearly 50 were drones of various types — almost all of them MQ-9 Reapers, but also a few MQ-1 Predators and one MQ-4C Triton.
Several US aircraft were shot down by Iran, while others were struck on the ground at American bases across the Middle East. Three F-15E fighter jets were destroyed by friendly fire over Kuwait. Among these losses are high-value assets, such as an F-35A Lightning II stealth jet and an E-3 Sentry airborne early warning plane, some of the military’s most expensive and closely-guarded assets.
Seven KC-135 Stratotankers were damaged or destroyed; one crashed in Iraq in mid-March, killing all six crew members — the deadliest of all the incidents.
Military aircraft take years to build, with each costing tens or hundreds of millions of dollars. The report noted that some damaged aircraft may have returned to service — but Congress may need to examine whether the defense industry can replenish those shortfalls quickly enough to meet other military demands, and how such losses might provide an advantage to adversaries.
The Congressional Budget Office said in September that it estimated the cost of equipment losses was at least $1.9 billion as of August 1, but that figure could be higher than $3.3 billion, depending on how the US plans to replace it. Several American aircraft were damaged in an Iranian strike on a base in Jordan last month, although they have since returned to service.
The CBO estimated that Operation Epic Fury cost the Department of Defense more than $38 billion, including munitions expenditures, equipment losses, and other expenses.
The updated tally from the Congressional Research Service is based on official military statements, media reports, and the Pentagon’s inspector general, which said nearly 60 aircraft were damaged or destroyed as of June 30.
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