Since February 28, the US military has lost or damaged at least 81 planes, drones, and helicopters in its operations against Iran. An updated Congressional Research Service (CRS) analysis estimates that the cost of equipment replacement could reach $3.3 billion.
On October 5, the CRS issued updated numbers. The list covers both human and unmanned aircraft.
The figures are based on US military declarations, media reporting, and the Department of Defence inspector general’s findings.
The CRS stated that the figure may vary as additional information becomes available. Some damaged aeroplanes have also returned to service.
The $3.3 billion figure does not imply that the 81 aeroplanes are worth that much. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) predicted in September that replacing equipment lost before August 1 would cost between $1.9 billion and $3.3 billion.
The total cost is determined on how the Pentagon decides to replace lost equipment.
US Iran War losses include F-15, F-35 and Reaper drones
The CRS list contains 12 F-15E Strike Eagle fighter fighters, one F-35A Lightning II, and two A-10 Thunderbolt II attack planes.
On March 2, three F-15Es were shot down by friendly fire over Kuwait. In April, another F-15E was downed while flying combat missions over Iran.
In September, eight other F-15Es were minorly damaged during Iranian strikes on Jordan’s Muwaffaq Salti Air Base.
An F-35A was damaged by an Iranian strike on March 19. The aircraft was eventually returned to service.
Drones account for a sizable portion of the stated losses. There are at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones on the CRS list.
The Reaper is utilised for both surveillance and missile strikes. By May, the US Air Force’s MQ-9 force had been reduced to 135 aircraft.
The Air Force has stated that it requires at least 189 deployable Reapers.
US Iran War report lists other aircraft losses
The CRS report also includes seven KC-135 Stratotanker refuelling planes and one E-3 Sentry observation aircraft.
Two MC-130J Commando II special operations aircraft and an HH-60W Jolly Green II rescue helicopter are also included.
The CRS also reported losses of one MQ-4C Triton drone, three MQ-1 drones, one AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, four AH-6 Little Bird helicopters, and one MH-60 Seahawk helicopter.
The E-3 Sentry is designed for airborne surveillance and command-and-control missions. It is based on the Boeing 707 platform and was previously operated in small numbers by the US Air Force.
The most recent CRS tally is nearly double that of a May report that showed 42 planes. However, this does not imply that 39 more aircraft were lost after May.
According to the CRS, the statistics may alter as new information becomes available. Previously unreported losses may also be added to the list.
The overall cost of the conflict has also increased. Last month, US Central Command assessed that the entire cost of the Iran conflict was $43.6 billion.
This was around $5 billion more than the sum disclosed in August. The cost of weapons alone amounted to $28.1 billion.
The most recent CRS numbers reveal the scope of US equipment losses, although the actual total may alter as more information becomes available.
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