US military aircraft losses reach 81 in Iran conflict

A report from the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service (CRS) documents that at least 81 US military aircraft have been lost or damaged during operations against Iran since February 28. The losses include fighter jets, refueling planes, helicopters, and drones.

Uncrewed aircraft sustained extensive losses, specifically 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones and three MQ-1 aircraft, along with one MQ-4C Triton. Among crewed aircraft, 12 F-15E Strike Eagle fighters were affected, including three destroyed by friendly fire in Kuwait and one downed over Iran. An F-35A Lightning II was damaged by Iranian ground fire, and two A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft were lost or heavily damaged. Support aircraft were also impacted, including seven KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft, one of which crashed in Iraq, resulting in six fatalities.

The estimated cost to replace the damaged or lost aircraft ranges from $1.9 billion to $3.3 billion. Total US expenditures related to the conflict with Iran have reached at least $45 billion, a figure that does not include damage to US military bases in the Middle East.