US lost 42 aircraft, including fighter jets, MQ-9 Reaper drones in Iran war: Report

An official report has quantified the losses incurred by the United States during Operation Epic Fury launched on February 28 targeting Iran.

According to the Congressional Research Service (CRS) report, at least 42 US aircraft, including fighter jets and drones, were lost or damaged in the operation.

The number of aircraft damaged or destroyed may remain subject to revision due to multiple factors, including classification, ongoing combat activity, and attribution, the report said.

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The aircraft losses and damages include four F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets, one F-35A Lightning II fighter aircraft, one A-10 Thunderbolt II ground-attack aircraft, seven KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refuelling aircraft, one E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft, two MC-130J Commando II special operations aircraft, one HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter, 24 MQ-9 Reaper drones and one MQ-4C Triton drone.

The CRS, which provides policy and legal analysis to the US Congress and committees, compiled the losses by perusing news reports and statements by the Department of Defence and the US Central Command.

During a hearing of the House Appropriations subcommittee on May 12, Acting Pentagon Comptroller Jules W Hurst III testified that the department’s cost estimate for military operations in Iran has increased to USD 29 billion.

“A lot of that increase comes from having a refined estimate on repair or replacement costs for equipment,” he said.

(With PTI inputs)