More than 80 US military aircraft have been damaged so far in the Iran war. Equipment losses could be over $3.3 billion.
More than 80 US military aircraft were lost or damaged in the fighting against Iran, according to a new report.
US Air Force photo A new congressional report has tallied more than 80 US military aircraft damaged or destroyed.
Losses include F-35s, tankers, drones, helicopters, and other costly assets.
Congress may examine whether the defense industry can replace aircraft fast enough.
More than 80 US military aircraft have been damaged or destroyed in the war against Iran since it began in late February, resulting in billions of dollars in losses, a new congressional report has revealed.
The losses highlight how airspace has become a fiercely contested front for the US military.
Unlike the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, where American forces generally operated with air superiority and suffered relatively few aircraft losses to enemy action, the war in Iran has exposed aircraft both in the air and on the ground to sustained missile and drone attacks.
The updated report from the Congressional Research Service, which was released this week, lists 81 aircraft that were lost or damaged in US operations against Iran since February 28.
The list includes fighter jets, refueling tankers, helicopters, airborne early warning aircraft, and special operations planes.
Nearly 50 were drones of various types — almost all of them MQ-9 Reapers , but also a few MQ-1 Predators and one MQ-4C Triton .
Several US aircraft were shot down by Iran, while others were struck on the ground at American bases across the Middle East.
Three F-15E fighter jets were destroyed by friendly fire over Kuwait.
Among these losses are high-value assets, such as an F-35A Lightning II stealth jet and an E-3 Sentry airborne early warning plane, some of the military's most expensive and closely-guarded assets.
Seven KC-135 Stratotankers were damaged or destroyed; one crashed in Iraq in mid-March, killing all six crew members — the deadliest of all the incidents.
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