The U.S. military has destroyed or damaged 81 aircraft in the war with Iran, according to a Congressional Research Service report released this week.
This number also includes planes, helicopters and drones, with the MQ-9 Reaper, an unmanned aircraft used for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, close air support, and combat search and rescue, accounting for more than half of the losses.
But the list also includes some of the Pentagon’s most valuable assets, such as the F-35A fighter jet and the E-3 Sentry, a four-engine aircraft with a large radar dome on its upper fuselage used for target tracking and airspace management.
The report, citing figures from the Congressional Budget Office, said the total cost of the lost aircraft would be between $1.9 billion and $3.3 billion, depending on the Pentagon’s replacement plan.
The total cost of the war is much higher, at least $45 billion, sources told CNN. This figure does not include damage to infrastructure at U.S. military bases in the region, including the base where some aircraft losses occurred.
Some of the aircraft included in the tally may have returned to service, including eight F-15 Strike Eagle jets that were lightly damaged in an Iranian attack on Jordan’s Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in September.
The report is based on figures contained in a Department of Defense statement. The inspector. US Central Command is conducting operations against Iran. News reports reviewed by CRS.
The report raises several questions for Congress to consider, including whether they have enough information from the Department of Defense to determine effects and remedies regarding the losses.
The Pentagon’s reporting on Iran war losses has so far been vague. The Department of Defense Inspector General’s report on losses, released in September and covering actions from February 28 to June 30, also cited earlier CRS reports for some of the aircraft loss numbers.
Another issue Congress will need to consider is whether to fund repairs or replacements. whether there is sufficient industrial capacity to meet those requirements; Impact on U.S. military sales to foreign partners.
Questions have also been raised about how the Iran war has affected America’s stance outside the Middle East.
“Congress may assess whether the loss of certain aging, limited-in-number, high-demand platforms, such as the E-3 Sentry, creates capability gaps or increases risk in other theaters,” the report states.
Analysts say actions in the Middle East, including the Iran war and early clashes with Yemen’s Houthi rebels, Iran’s proxy group, have taken a particular toll on the MQ-9 drone, with Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach telling Congress earlier this year that the MQ-9 drone is the military’s “most valuable player” in the war with Iran.
A September report from the Atlantic Council said 45 animals have gone missing in the Middle East this year, an “alarming rate.”
The Air Force says it has lost about 35% of its MQ-9s since 2004.
