More Than 81 US Military Aircraft Destroyed or Damaged in Iran War
Total Value of the Losses Estimated at Up to $3.3 Billion
Washington: According to a new report by the Congressional Research Service (CRS), at least 81 US military aircraft have been destroyed or damaged since the war with Iran began, with the total value of the losses estimated at up to $3.3 billion.
The losses include some of the US military’s most advanced aircraft, including one F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter and 12 F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft, which were destroyed or damaged.
According to the report, three F-15E aircraft were shot down in a friendly-fire incident over Kuwait on March 2. Each aircraft is valued at more than $30 million. Another F-15E was shot down over Iran the following month. Eight other F-15E aircraft sustained minor damage during Iranian air attacks on the Al-Salti Air Base in Jordan on September 9 and 10. The report said the damaged aircraft were later returned to service.
The United States also lost at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones, each estimated to be worth between $30 million and $50 million.
The Reapers are used for both surveillance and missile strikes. Their losses have reduced the number of operational Reapers to approximately 135, while the Air Force’s target is to maintain at least 189 deployable drones.
Another significant loss was an E-3 Sentry airborne surveillance aircraft, valued at approximately $270 million. Based on the Boeing 707, the aging aircraft remains an important surveillance platform. As of 2015, the US Air Force had 32 operational E-3 aircraft.
The report also mentions damage to an F-35A, valued at more than $92 million. The aircraft came under Iranian fire on March 19.
In April, an A-10 Thunderbolt II ground-attack aircraft was also lost, while another A-10 was damaged during an attack on an airbase in Jordan in September.
According to the CRS report, the list of destroyed or damaged US aircraft includes 12 F-15E Strike Eagle fighter aircraft, one F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter, two A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft, seven KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refuelling aircraft, one E-3 Sentry surveillance aircraft and two MC-130J Commando II special operations aircraft.
Other aircraft reported as damaged or lost include 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 and one MH-60 Seahawk naval helicopter.
