Over 80 US aircraft lost or damaged in Iran war
MQ-9 Reaper has suffered significant attrition, with nearly 50 units lost over Iran.
A new report indicates that the US has seen 81 fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters damaged since hostilities against Iran commenced in February.
An updated Congressional Research Service report updates the previous number of 41 aircraft damaged or destroyed that it provided in 2026. The report draws on a range of sources, including well-sourced media reports and comments from US defence officials.
The US Air Force aircraft that has suffered the greatest attrition in the conflict is the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft, of which “at least 45” have been lost in operations against Iran.
Three MQ-1 Predators have also been lost.
The USAF’s Boeing F-15E has also suffered, with 12 aircraft lost or damaged. These include three aircraft shot down in a friendly fire incident over Kuwait in March, and a single aircraft lost over Iran in April.
On 9-10 September, eight F-15Es “sustained light damage” during an Iranian strike at Jordan’s Muwaffaq Salti air base. The report indicates that all eight aircraft returned to service.
F-15E losses at Muwaffaq Salti could have been worse: the report indicates that a single Republic Fairchild A-10 was “severely damaged” at Muwaffaq Salti on 9-10 September.
A range of other USAF assets have suffered losses or damage. These include a single Lockheed Martin F-35A that was damaged in March, as well as the loss of two Republic Fairchild A-10s. One A-10 was downed by enemy fire in April, while another was “severely damaged”
The new report indicates that base defence against drones and missiles has proven to be a major challenge for the USAF, which for decades has operated from air base well outside the enemy’s weapons engagement zone.
It comes during the same week as USAF B-1B bombers staged an abrupt departure from the RAF Fairford in the UK, ostensibly out of concerns of a terrorist threat.
The extent of MQ-9 losses will also raise questions about the viability of the platform in non-permissive airspace. The Pentagon is aware of the MQ-9A’s vulnerability: its Defense Innovation Unit is on the hunt for an uncrewed “Massed Modular Aircraft” that can take on the Reaper’s missions at a low enough price point.
They launched the war against Teheran in February, US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu predicated that airpower alone would deliver a fast victory.
Seven months into the conflict, which has seen hostilities ebb and flow, Tehran remains defiant. The war has also expanded to Yemen, where the Iran-backed Houthi militia is fighting Yemeni government forces who are supported by Saudi Arabia.
Houthi militants recently downed a Royal Saudi Air Force F-15SA fighter, and have also warned international airlines to cease using Saudi airspace.
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