Make New York Post a Preferred Source The US has had at least 81 US military aircraft lost or damaged since the war in Iran began, a loss totaling as much as $3.3 billion, according to a new Congressional Research Service report.
The losses include some of America’s most advanced warplanes, including one damaged F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter and 12 F-15E Strike Eagle fighters that have been destroyed or damaged.
Three of the F-15 jets, worth more than $30 million each, were shot down in friendly fire over Kuwait on March 2, with another shot down over Iran the following month.
Eight other F-15Es also sustained minor damage during Iran’s airstrikes on the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, in Jordan, on September 9 and 10.
The damaged aircraft, fortunately, have been returned to service, according to the report.
Another hefty loss came in the form of at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones, which are estimated to be worth between $30 to $50 million each.
The losses led the fleet of the versatile drones — which can be used for surveillance and missile strikes — to drop to 135, an Air Force general told the Senate in May.
The Air Force is meant to have at least 189 deployable Reaper drones at any time, according to the Air Force Times.
The analysis also included damage sustained by a fifth-generation F-34A, one of America’s most advanced warplanes, worth more than $92 million, when it came under fire from Iran on March 19.
The Congressional Research Service also specifically pointed to the loss of one $270 million E-3 Sentry surveillance plane — an aging but essential platform that is based on the Boeing 707 airliner.
The US had 32 in operation as of 2015, according to the Air Force
The US also lost an A-10 Thunderbolt II ground-attack aircraft in April, with another damaged during the September attack on Jordan.
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Last month, US Central Command estimated that the total cost of the war in Iran grew to $43.6 billion — a $5 billion increase from August.
Weapons costs also jumped by more than $6 billion in just over a month, from $21.7 billion listed in the latest Congressional Budget Office report to $28.1 billion in US Central Command’s estimate.
The White House and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
