Iran May Have Dealt $1Bn Blow To America’s Drone Fleet

Iran has destroyed more than two dozen MQ-9 Reaper drones worth around $1bn operated by US forces since the war began, according to a Bloomberg report. As per pre-war estimates, the lost drones account for 20% of the Pentagon’s inventory of hard-to-replace unmanned systems.

A person familiar with the matter told the news agency that most of these drones were downed mid-flight by Iranian fire. A few of them were destroyed on the ground in missile strikes, or in accidents.

Reapers cost around $30mn each and carry high-powered sensors, including cameras. They can also carry weapons such as Hellfire missiles or Joint-Direct Attack Munition guided bombs. However, these are no longer manufactured for US forces.

So far, US forces likely have lost at least 24 Reapers, and possibly as many as 30, with the total including drones that were damaged and written off later, according to the report. This estimate is much higher than the previous estimation made by a Congressional Research Service report

The aircraft have been heavily used in the conflict with Iran as commanders try to keep air crews out of harm’s way. Although the US has inflicted significant damage on Iran’s military assets, including degrading or destroying much of its air defence capability, parts of Iranian airspace remain dangerous.

More Losses

The $1bn Reaper losses add to the mounting costs for the US and Israeli war on Iran, which has burned through thousands of high-end munitions, including Tomahawk and JASSM-ER cruise missiles.

The Congressional report said that around 42 US military aircraft, including fighter jets and drones, have been lost or damaged during the Iran conflict.

Before that, the Pentagon declared that the cost of military operations against Iran under Operation Epic Fury has already climbed to nearly $29bn. The US Department of Defence has not published a comprehensive assessment of combat losses so far.