American Report: Air Force Losses in the Iran War Are 81 Aircraft and $3.3 Billion

The American newspaper “New York Post” revealed on Wednesday the loss or damage of no less than 81 American aircraft since the start of the war with Iran, among them advanced and extremely costly aircraft.

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The newspaper relied on a new report issued by the American Congressional Research Service, which estimates the direct value of these losses and damages at about 3.3 billion dollars.

The report explains that among the damaged aircraft, there are 12 F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets, three of which were downed, each valued at more than 30 million dollars, by friendly fire over Kuwait on March 2, while another aircraft of the same type was downed over Iran the following month.

Eight F-15E fighter jets were also damaged during Iranian attacks that targeted Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan in early September, before being repaired and returning to operational service, according to the report.

The losses also included the fleet of American drones, especially the MQ-9 Reaper aircraft, as the report indicates the loss of no less than 45 aircraft of this type, the cost of each ranging between 30 and 50 million dollars.

According to the testimony of an American general before the Senate last May, these losses led to reducing the number of remaining “Reaper” aircraft to about 135 aircraft, which is less than the minimum target for the American Air Force, which is 189 aircraft needed to maintain continuous operational deployment.

The campaign also inflicted damage on a number of the most expensive American aerial assets. An F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter jet, each costing more than 92 million dollars, was hit by Iranian fire on March 19.

The United States also lost an E-3 Sentry electronic command and control aircraft, while damages were inflicted on KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft, MC-130J special forces aircraft, a combat rescue helicopter, and maritime patrol drones, in addition to attack helicopters of the Apache and Helibird types.

The report explained that the tally of 81 aircraft includes those completely destroyed and others that sustained minor damage, with some returning to service after repair.

The financial estimate of 3.3 billion dollars reflects only the direct value of the damaged or lost equipment, and does not include in detail the costs of flight hours, munitions, maintenance, and base defense operations.

These figures provide a picture of the magnitude of the losses incurred by the American Air Force during the operations, which were not limited to direct combat, but also included friendly fire incidents and attacks that targeted American bases in the region.