U.S. MQ‑9 Reaper drone losses mount in Iran conflict

Iran has announced that it has destroyed between 41 and 42 U.S. MQ‑9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles since the fighting began in late February 2026. Bloomberg reported that more than 30 Reapers were destroyed by 21 May, while a Congressional Research Service briefing in early May cited 24 losses during the "Epic Fury" campaign. Prior to the conflict, the United States operated roughly 250 MQ‑9s, with about 206 assigned to the Air Force, 20 to the Navy, and 24 to the National Guard. After the early losses, the number of combat‑ready Reapers was reduced to approximately 135, well below previous readiness levels. Iranian forces continued to claim additional shoot‑downs, reporting another 11–12 aircraft destroyed after 21 May across multiple locations.

These losses represent the most severe attrition of the Reaper fleet in a single conflict, raising questions about the UAV's vulnerability to Iran’s layered air‑defence systems and its impact on U.S. operations in the region.