WorldPosted at: Oct 8 2026 4:04PM


Iran war: 81 US aircraft down, billions needed for replacement, and Congress is flying blind

Washington, Oct 8 (UNI) The Iran war has cost the US military 81 aircraft, lost or damaged, and the bill to replace them could reach $3.3 billion, according to a Congressional Research Service report. That is only the equipment. The war itself has cost Americans at least $45 billion, and that figure leaves out damage to U.S. bases across the region.
Among the casualties are an F-35A stealth fighter and an E-3 Sentry, while the MQ-9 Reaper suffered particularly heavy losses. The airborne command-and-control aircraft the military relies on to track targets and manage airspace. Both are scarce, aging or both, and hard to replace.
The figure includes fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and drones, with the MQ-9 Reaper accounting for more than half of the reported losses. The report, updated on Oct. 5, said the figures were compiled from US. Defense Department and Central Command statements, an inspector general's report and media reports.
The losses include some of the U.S. military's most advanced and strategically important aircraft, including an F-35A fighter jet and an E-3 Sentry airborne early warning and control aircraft used for tracking targets and managing airspace.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated in September that replacing equipment lost in the conflict as of Aug. 1 would cost between $1.9 billion and $3.3 billion, depending on the Pentagon's plans for replacement, the CRS report said.
The overall cost of the war is substantially higher. Sources have estimated the conflict has cost the United States at least $45 billion, a figure that does not include damage to infrastructure at U.S. bases in the region, according to the report's source material.
Some aircraft counted as damaged may have since returned to service. Eight F-15E Strike Eagle fighters, for example, sustained light damage during an Iranian strike on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan in September.
The CRS said the aircraft-loss figures could be revised because of continuing combat operations, classification issues and questions over attribution.
The United States, working with Israel, launched military operations against Iran on Feb. 28 under the designation Operation Epic Fury. The conflict involved air, maritime and missile engagements across the Middle East before the pace of fighting declined following a ceasefire in April. Some strikes resumed within weeks, and the situation remained fluid, the CRS said.
The report raised questions about whether Congress is receiving sufficient information from the Pentagon to assess the scale of the losses and determine how they should be addressed.
US government reporting on aircraft losses has been limited, while a Pentagon inspector general's report released in September, covering operations between Feb. 28 and June 30, relied in part on earlier CRS estimates for aircraft losses.
The CRS said lawmakers may need to consider whether additional funding is required to repair or replace damaged and destroyed aircraft, whether U.S. industry has sufficient capacity to meet those requirements and whether the losses could affect military sales to foreign partners.
Congress may also have to assess how the conflict has affected U.S. military posture beyond the Middle East.
"Congress may assess whether losses in certain high-demand platforms that are aging and limited in number, such as the E-3 Sentry, create capability gaps or increase risk in other theaters," the CRS report said.
The MQ-9 Reaper has suffered particularly heavy losses during U.S. operations in the Middle East, including the Iran war and earlier confrontations with Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach told Congress earlier this year that the MQ-9 was the military's "most valuable player" in the war with Iran, underscoring the importance of the drone for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, close air support and combat search and rescue.
A September report by the Atlantic Council estimated that 45 MQ-9s had been lost in the Middle East this year, describing the pace as "alarming." It said the Air Force had lost about 35% of its MQ-9 fleet since the drone entered service in 2004.
The CRS report listed 12 F-15E Strike Eagle fighters among the aircraft lost or damaged. CENTCOM reported that three F-15Es were destroyed by friendly fire over Kuwait on March 2, while another was reported destroyed over Iran on April 5.
The scale of the losses could put additional pressure on an already stretched U.S. defense industrial base, particularly for aircraft that are expensive, in limited supply or difficult to replace quickly.
The CRS report said Congress will therefore face decisions not only over funding replacements but also over how the losses could affect U.S. military capabilities in other regions.UNI AAB
Tags: #Iran war: 81 US aircraft down# billions needed for replacement# and Congress is flying blind
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