The US military has lost or suffered damage to at least 81 aircraft and drones since the start of the Iran war, with the combined losses estimated at nearly $3.3 billion, according to a new Congressional Research Service report.
The report, US Aircraft Combat Damage in Operation Epic Fury: Considerations for Congress, offers an assessment of the damage suffered by American air assets during military operations in the Middle East. The losses include F-15E fighter jets, an F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter and dozens of MQ-9 Reaper drones.
The report said US forces lost 12 F-15E aircraft, one F-35A, two A-10 Thunderbolt II ground-attack aircraft and seven KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refuelling aircraft.
Three F-15Es were shot down in a friendly-fire incident over Kuwait on March 2, while another was lost over Iran the following month. At least eight more F-15Es sustained minor damage during Iranian strikes on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan on September 9 and 10.
The US also lost one E-3 Sentry airborne early warning and control aircraft, two MC-130J Commando II special operations aircraft, one HH-60W Jolly Green II rescue helicopter and one MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft.
The list further includes three MQ-1 multi-role unmanned aircraft and 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones, making the Reaper the most numerous US aircraft type lost or damaged in the conflict.
The cost of individual platforms varies considerably. An F-15 is valued at more than $30 million, while an F-35A costs over $92 million. Each MQ-9 Reaper is estimated to be worth between $30 million and $50 million. The E-3 Sentry, meanwhile, is estimated at around $270 million per aircraft.
US combat losses also included one AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, four AH-6 Little Bird light attack helicopters and one MH-60 Sea Hawk maritime helicopter.
The CRS warned that the figures could change because some details remain classified and responsibility for certain incidents has yet to be fully established. Some aircraft listed as damaged may also return to operational service after repairs.
The financial impact extends beyond aircraft losses. The cost of weapons used by US forces in Iran has reportedly risen by more than $6 billion in just over a month, increasing from $21.7 billion in a Congressional Budget Office estimate to $28.1 billion in the latest estimate from US Central Command.
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