US loses or damages at least 81 aircraft in Iran war

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Congressional report details losses involving F-15s, F-35, A-10s, helicopters, 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones

Washington has lost or suffered damage to at least 81 military aircraft, helicopters and drones since the US launched its war against Iran on February 28, 2026, with total losses estimated at up to $3.3 billion, according to a newly updated Congressional Research Service report.

The report provides one of the most detailed official accounts so far of US aircraft losses during the conflict, covering some of America’s most advanced and expensive military platforms.

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) report, titled ‘US Aircraft Combat Damage in Operation Epic Fury: Considerations for Congress’, was updated on October 5 and compiled the figures from US Department of Defense and Central Command statements, inspector general reports and media reports.

The CRS said the tally includes fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and unmanned systems. It cautioned that the number could change because some information remains classified, combat operations are continuing and responsibility for certain incidents can be difficult to establish.

Some damaged aircraft may also have been repaired and returned to service, meaning the list represents aircraft that were lost or damaged rather than necessarily the number permanently removed from the US inventory.

The report’s overall tally is significantly higher than figures previously made public by the Pentagon and other US agencies.

For example, a US War Department inspector general report last month confirmed damage to only four F-15s and more than 30 MQ-9 Reaper drones. The new congressional accounting raises those figures to 12 F-15s and at least 45 MQ-9s.

The US has lost or suffered damage to 12 F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets during the conflict. Three F-15Es, each valued at more than $30 million, were destroyed by US friendly fire over Kuwait on March 2. Another F-15E was shot down over Iran on April 5.

Eight additional F-15Es sustained minor damage during Iranian strikes on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan on September 9 and 10. The damaged aircraft were later repaired and returned to service, according to reports cited by the CRS.

The losses also include an F-35A Lightning II, one of the most advanced aircraft in the US arsenal. The fifth-generation stealth fighter, valued at more than $92 million, was damaged by ground fire in Iran on March 19.

Two A-10 Thunderbolt II ground-attack aircraft are also included in the congressional tally.

US Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine said on April 6 that one A-10 was destroyed after being hit by gunfire and crashed. Another was reportedly severely damaged during the September 9-10 Iranian strikes on the US-linked base in Jordan.

The conflict has also affected aircraft supporting US combat operations, including aerial refuelling and surveillance platforms.

Seven KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refuelling aircraft are included in the CRS list. On March 12, US Central Command reported that two KC-135s were involved in incidents, with one crashing in Iraq and killing all six members of its crew, while another was forced to make an emergency landing.

Two days later, another report said five KC-135 aircraft were damaged during an Iranian attack on US aircraft at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.

An E-3 Sentry airborne warning-and-control aircraft was also damaged at the same base. A March 28 report said the aircraft had sustained damage, while a later report on September 15 said it had been directly targeted.

The E-3 Sentry is an aging but important surveillance platform based on the Boeing 707 airliner. The US had 32 E-3 aircraft in operation as of 2015, according to the Air Force.

The CRS warned that the loss of scarce or aging aircraft such as the E-3 could create capability gaps elsewhere in the US military.

Two MC-130J Commando II special operations aircraft were destroyed on April 5 while participating in a search-and-rescue operation for an F-15E shot down over Iran, according to the congressional report.

The incident added to losses among aircraft used to support special operations and combat recovery missions.

The CRS also lists one HH-60W Jolly Green II combat search-and-rescue helicopter as damaged during an operation to locate the crew of the downed F-15E.

Gen. Dan Caine had previously confirmed that the HH-60W was damaged during that recovery operation.

The largest single category of losses involves the US MQ-9 Reaper drone fleet, with at least 45 aircraft lost during operations against Iran.

The MQ-9 is widely used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions as well as missile strikes. Each aircraft is estimated to cost between $30 million and $50 million.

The scale of the losses reduced the US MQ-9 fleet to 135 aircraft, according to an Air Force general who told the Senate in May.

The Air Force is supposed to maintain at least 189 deployable Reaper drones at any time, according to the Air Force Times, highlighting the potential impact of the losses on the service’s operational capacity.

The CRS also lists losses involving other unmanned aircraft, including one MQ-4C Triton and three MQ-1 drones.

US Central Command acknowledged on May 31 that Iran had shot down one MQ-1. A September 17 report citing US officials said Iran had downed at least two more in the preceding days.

US helicopter forces have also suffered losses during the conflict. The CRS lists one AH-64 Apache, four AH-6 Little Birds, one MH-60 Sea Hawk and one HH-60W search-and-rescue helicopter among the aircraft damaged or destroyed.

According to a September 14 Defense Department inspector general report, the AH-64 Apache was shot down over the Strait of Hormuz.

The same report said four AH-6 Little Bird helicopters were destroyed by US forces during a rescue operation, while an MH-60 Sea Hawk crashed over the Arabian Sea.

The incidents add another layer to the overall losses, which span combat aircraft, helicopters, aerial refuelling platforms, surveillance planes, special operations aircraft and unmanned systems.

The CRS accounting identifies the following US aircraft as lost or damaged during military operations against Iran:

7 KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refuelling aircraft

2 MC-130J Commando II special operations aircraft

4 AH-6 Little Bird light attack helicopters

1 HH-60W Jolly Green II search-and-rescue helicopter

The combined total is at least 81 aircraft, helicopters and unmanned systems lost or damaged since the start of the war.

The CRS said the figures could have implications for congressional oversight, including whether the Pentagon has sufficient information and funding to replace aircraft that have been destroyed or damaged.

The report also raised questions about whether losses of scarce, aging platforms could create capability gaps as the US continues military operations.

Another concern is the ability of the US defence industrial base to replenish the losses quickly.

The CRS noted that production capacity, supply chains and competing demands, including foreign military sales, could affect how rapidly the Pentagon is able to replace destroyed aircraft and restore damaged equipment to operational strength.

The figures also underline the extent of the military cost incurred by Washington during the conflict, with losses involving some of its most advanced fighter jets alongside large numbers of remotely piloted aircraft.

The congressional accounting is likely to remain subject to revision as additional information emerges, classified details are released and aircraft damaged during the war are assessed or returned to service.

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Mehrdad Akhlaghi previously served as a senior executive at Iran’s Defence Ministry