The U.S. military has had 81 aircraft destroyed or damaged during the conflict with Iran, according to a Congressional Research Service (CRS) report published this week.
The losses include a mix of fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles. The MQ-9 Reaper, used extensively for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, close air support, and combat search and rescue, accounts for more than half of the recorded platform losses.
The tally also includes high-value and specialized Pentagon assets, including an F-35A stealth fighter and an E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft. The E-3 is equipped with a prominent rotodome radar system used for airspace management and target tracking.
Depending on the Defense Department’s replacement strategy, the direct cost of replacing or restoring the damaged and destroyed platforms is estimated at between $1.9 billion and $3.3 billion, based on Congressional Budget Office assessments cited in the CRS report.
The broader financial burden of the conflict is considerably higher. Overall operational expenditures are estimated at approximately $45 billion, a figure that does not include structural damage to U.S. military bases across the region, where several aircraft losses occurred.
Some aircraft included in the tally have since returned to service. Among them are eight F-15 Strike Eagle fighter jets that sustained light damage during an Iranian strike on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan in September.
The CRS compiled its assessment using official disclosures from the Department of Defense, the Defense Department’s Office of Inspector General, and U.S. Central Command, along with verified news reports. The report raises several oversight questions for lawmakers, particularly whether the Pentagon is providing enough detail about equipment losses to accurately assess their operational impact and determine appropriate responses.
Reporting on U.S. equipment losses in the region has remained largely aggregated. A September Inspector General report covering military operations between February 28 and June 30, for example, relied in part on earlier CRS data.
Congress will also need to consider potential supplemental appropriations for repairs and replacement acquisitions, assess whether the U.S. industrial base has sufficient capacity to meet increased demand, and evaluate the broader effects on foreign military sales.
The CRS analysis also raises concerns about the potential impact on U.S. strategic posture beyond the Middle East. Attrition among low-density, aging, and high-demand aircraft such as the E-3 Sentry could create gaps in air surveillance and command-and-control coverage in other theaters.
Defense analysts have also warned that continuing U.S. operations across the region—including the conflict with Iran and earlier confrontations with Houthi forces in Yemen—have placed significant strain on the MQ-9 Reaper fleet.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach previously described the MQ-9 as a core operational asset in the region when speaking to lawmakers.
Forty-five MQ-9 Reapers have reportedly been lost in the Middle East this year alone, contributing to a cumulative loss of approximately 35 percent of the Air Force’s total Reaper inventory since the fleet entered service in 2004.
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