81 US aircraft lost or damaged during Iran war, congressional document shows

At least 81 US fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and uncrewed aircraft were lost or damaged during military operations against Iran, according to a recent report prepared by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

The figures compile operational incidents recorded since Feb. 28 across Pentagon records, US Central Command (CENTCOM) statements, military inspector general findings, and press accounts.

The compilation shows extensive losses across uncrewed platforms, led by 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones and three MQ-1 multi-role craft downed during operations, along with one MQ-4C Triton that crashed in a flight mishap.

Manned combat airframes also sustained substantial hits.

Twelve F-15E Strike Eagle fighters were affected, including three destroyed by friendly fire over Kuwait, one downed over Iran, and eight that suffered light damage during an Iranian missile strike on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan before returning to service.

Iranian ground fire damaged an advanced F-35A Lightning II, while two A-10 Thunderbolt II ground-attack jets were lost or heavily damaged.

Support fleets suffered major attrition as well.

Seven KC-135 Stratotanker refueling craft were affected, including one fatal crash in Iraq that killed six crew members and five reportedly damaged on the ground in Saudi Arabia.

One E-3 Sentry early warning plane took a direct hit, two MC-130J special operations transports were intentionally destroyed during a rescue mission, and seven military helicopters, including AH-64 Apache and AH-6 Little Bird models, were lost or damaged.

The disclosures arrive amid soaring financial tolls in the Iran war, which began Feb. 28 with coordinated US-Israeli strikes.

A Lead Inspector General report in September estimated total campaign expenses at $33.4 billion through late June, including $3.7 billion in equipment losses, while the Congressional Budget Office projected hardware replacement costs at up to $3.3 billion.

The Congressional Research Service noted that the number of aircraft may remain subject to revision due to classification, ongoing combat activity, and attribution.