US lost or damaged 81 aircraft in Iran war, report says

At least 81 US military aircraft, helicopters and drones have been lost or damaged during the war with Iran, according to an updated Congressional Research Service report that provides one of the most comprehensive public assessments yet of the toll on American air power.

The October 5 report by the Congressional Research Service (CRS), the nonpartisan research arm of Congress, includes 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones, 12 F-15E Strike Eagle fighters, seven KC-135 refuelling aircraft and a range of other manned and unmanned aircraft.

But the report cautions that the figure does not mean all 81 aircraft were destroyed. Some sustained damage and were subsequently returned to active service.

The assessment covers US operations against Iran since February 28, when the United States and Israel began military operations against Tehran.

Among the most significant losses were four F-15E Strike Eagles destroyed earlier in the conflict.

Three went down over Kuwait in an apparent friendly-fire incident in early March after Kuwaiti air defences mistakenly shot them down during combat involving Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles and drones, according to US Central Command. All six crew members ejected safely and were recovered.

A fourth F-15E was shot down during combat operations over Iran, with its two crew members subsequently rescued.

The CRS tally now lists 12 F-15Es because another eight were lightly damaged during an Iranian ballistic missile attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan in September.

Those aircraft were considered serviceable and returned to service, according to reports cited by CRS.

Unmanned aircraft account for the largest share of the total.

CRS lists 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones as lost or damaged, up sharply from the 24 Reapers identified in an earlier version of the report in May.

Other aircraft on the updated list include two A-10 Thunderbolt II ground-attack aircraft, two MC-130J Commando II special operations aircraft, an F-35A Lightning II, an E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control aircraft, an HH-60W Jolly Green II search-and-rescue helicopter and an MQ-4C Triton surveillance drone.

The list also includes four AH-6 Little Bird helicopters, three MQ-1-series drones, an AH-64 Apache and an MH-60 Sea Hawk.

CRS said the tally remains subject to revision because of classification, continuing combat operations and difficulties in determining the circumstances surrounding individual incidents.

The financial cost of the wider conflict has also continued to rise.

The Congressional Budget Office estimated in September that replacing equipment lost through August 1 could cost between $1.9 billion and $3.3 billion, depending on the Pentagon’s replacement decisions, according to CRS.

A more recent US Central Command estimate provided to lawmakers put the overall cost of the Iran war at $43.6 billion as of September 3, according to The Associated Press.

That calculation included $28.1 billion to replace expended munitions and about $4.3 billion for equipment losses, in addition to operational costs. It did not include damage to US military bases across the Middle East.

CRS said the aircraft losses raise broader questions for Congress about whether the US military has enough aircraft to meet operational requirements elsewhere and how quickly lost equipment can be replaced.

Some of the aircraft affected are older platforms with relatively small fleets, making losses potentially more consequential.

The report also raises questions about the capacity of the US defence industrial base to replace aircraft and drones while maintaining forces needed for other potential conflicts.

The Pentagon has not publicly released a single comprehensive accounting of all US aircraft destroyed or damaged during the Iran conflict.

- With inputs from AP