WASHINGTON: At least 81 US military aircraft, including fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and drones, have been lost or damaged during US operations against Iran since February, according to a report by the Congressional Research Service (CRS).
The report said MQ-9 Reaper drones accounted for the largest share of the losses, with at least 45 reportedly lost during the conflict.
The CRS also documented the destruction of three F-15E fighter jets in a friendly-fire incident over Kuwait in March, while another F-15E was shot down over Iran in April.
The Congressional Research Service (CRS), a non-partisan research arm of the US Congress, provides lawmakers with independent analysis and reports on national security, foreign policy and other policy issues.
The scale of U.S. losses in the Iran war is coming into focus as a Congressional Research Service report lists 81 fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft, including at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones, lost or damaged since Operation Epic Fury began on February 28. https://t.co/p5biN5kMq7
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Eight F-15s were damaged during an Iranian attack on a US airbase in Jordan in September, although the aircraft were subsequently returned to service, the report said.
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The assessment also listed damage to one F-35A fighter, two A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft and seven KC-135 aerial refuelling aircraft. The CRS cautioned that the figures could change as the conflict continues, with some damage assessments still subject to revision.
The reported losses highlight the scale and intensity of US air operations during the conflict, particularly the vulnerability of unmanned aircraft and other assets to Iranian attacks.
The figures also underscore the operational costs of maintaining sustained air operations across the region, although the CRS assessment does not necessarily establish the circumstances behind every reported loss or damage.
