US military has lost 81 planes, drones and helicopters worth $3.3 billion in Iran war: report

The US has had at least 81 US military aircraft lost or damaged since the war in Iran began, a loss totaling as much as $3.3 billion, according to a new Congressional Research Service report.

The losses include some of America’s most advanced warplanes, including one damaged F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter and 12 F-15E Strike Eagle fighters that have been destroyed or damaged.

Three of the F-15 jets, worth more than $30 million each, were shot down in friendly fire over Kuwait on March 2, with another shot down over Iran the following month.

A US Air Force F-15 jet flies overhead during the “Dynamic Front 23” exercise in Grafenwoehr, near Eschenbach, southern Germany, on March 28, 2023. AFP via Getty Images

Eight other F-15Es also sustained minor damage during Iran’s airstrikes on the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, in Jordan, on September 9 and 10.

The damaged aircraft, fortunately, have been returned to service, according to the report.

Another hefty loss came in the form of at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones, which are estimated to be worth between $30 to $50 million each.

The losses led the fleet of the versatile drones — which can be used for surveillance and missile strikes — to drop to 135, an Air Force general told the Senate in May.

An MQ-9 Reaper flies a training mission over the Nevada Test and Training Range on May 13, 2013, in this handout photo provided by the US Air Force. EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

The Air Force is meant to have at least 189 deployable Reaper drones at any time, according to the Air Force Times.


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The analysis also included damage sustained by a fifth-generation F-34A, one of America’s most advanced warplanes, worth more than $92 million, when it came under fire from Iran on March 19.

The Congressional Research Service also specifically pointed to the loss of one $270 million E-3 Sentry surveillance plane — an aging but essential platform that is based on the Boeing 707 airliner.

The US had 32 in operation as of 2015, according to the Air Force

An Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II, also known as an A-10 Warthog, supports Operation Epic Fury in this photo shared by US Central Command on March 15, 2026. CENTCOM

The US also lost an A-10 Thunderbolt II ground-attack aircraft in April, with another damaged during the September attack on Jordan.

Total list of US aircraft lost or damaged in Iran war:

  • 12 F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets
  • One F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter
  • Two A-10 “Warthog” attack jets
  • Seven KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft
  • One E-3 Sentry spy plane
A Boeing AH-64 Apache is prepared ahead of the Army’s 250th Anniversary Parade at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on June 12, 2025. Bloomberg via Getty Images
  • Two MC-130J Commando II special operations aircraft
  • One HH-60W Jolly Green II combat search-and-rescue helicopter
  • One MQ-4C Triton high-altitude long-endurance drone
  • Three MQ-1 multi-role drone
  • One AH-64 Apache attack helicopter
  • Four AH-6 Little Bird light attack helicopters
  • One MH-60 Sea Hawk maritime helicopter

Last month, US Central Command estimated that the total cost of the war in Iran grew to $43.6 billion — a $5 billion increase from August.

Weapons costs also jumped by more than $6 billion in just over a month, from $21.7 billion listed in the latest Congressional Budget Office report to $28.1 billion in US Central Command’s estimate.

The White House and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

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