Iran war cost US military 81 aircraft losses: Here's the full list

The scale of US military aircraft losses in the Iran war has grown sharply, with an updated Congressional Research Service (CRS) assessment listing at least 81 aircraft as lost or damaged since the start of Operation Epic Fury.

The October update nearly doubles the 42 aircraft identified in an earlier CRS assessment released in May. The latest tally includes fighter jets, refuelling aircraft, surveillance planes, helicopters and drones. CRS has cautioned that the figures can change as more information becomes available and that some aircraft listed as damaged have returned to service.

F-15s, F-35 and A-10 among aircraft affected

The list includes 12 F-15E Strike Eagle fighters, one F-35A Lightning II and two A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft.

Three F-15Es were shot down by friendly fire over Kuwait on March 2, while another was lost during combat over Iran in April. Eight more F-15Es suffered minor damage during Iranian attacks on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan in September, although those aircraft were subsequently returned to service.

An F-35A also sustained damage after coming under Iranian fire on March 19. The aircraft is among the most advanced fighters in the US inventory.

The tally further includes seven KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refuelling aircraft and one E-3 Sentry surveillance plane. Two MC-130J Commando II special operations aircraft, one HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter and several other helicopters are also on the list.

MQ-9 Reaper takes biggest hit

Unmanned aircraft account for a major share of the losses. The revised CRS tally includes 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones, along with one MQ-4C Triton and three MQ-1 drones.

The Reaper fleet had fallen to around 135 aircraft by May, compared with the Air Force’s stated floor of 189 deployable aircraft. The service has since accelerated work on a potential successor as the losses have raised concerns about maintaining the fleet.

Aircraft losses add to wider war costs

The aircraft losses are part of a broader equipment bill from the conflict. The Congressional Budget Office estimated in September that replacing equipment lost through August 1 could cost between $1.9 billion and $3.3 billion, depending on the Pentagon’s replacement plans. The estimate covers equipment losses more broadly and should not be read as the value of the 81 aircraft alone.

The full CRS list comprises 12 F-15Es, one F-35A, two A-10s, seven KC-135s, one E-3, two MC-130Js, one HH-60W, 45 MQ-9s, one MQ-4C, three MQ-1s, one AH-64, four AH-6s and one MH-60.