The US has lost nearly a quarter of its Reaper drone fleet in the Iran war
At least 45 US MQ-9 Reaper drones have gone down since late February in the war with Iran, US officials tell the Washington Post, a taxpayer cost above 1.3 billion dollars. Some were shot down by Iran's military and regional proxies, others crashed after losing their control link. The Trump administration is now asking Congress for 67 billion dollars to rebuild depleted weapons stocks.
At least 45 of the US military's MQ-9 Reaper drones have been lost since President Trump ordered the start of hostilities with Iran in late February, US officials tell the Washington Post, roughly a quarter of the pre-war fleet and a potential taxpayer cost above 1.3 billion dollars. Some Reapers were shot down by Iran's military and its regional proxies in Yemen and Iraq while flying low and slow over the Strait of Hormuz; others crashed after losing the communications link between the drone and its operator. The Air Force fleet has fallen from about 185 aircraft to roughly 135 as of May, according to Senate testimony from a senior Air Force general who said he was concerned about the pace of losses. No Marine Corps Reapers, which operate mainly in the Asia-Pacific, have been lost. The Pentagon has declined to comment and denies its stockpiles are running low, even as the Trump administration asks Congress for a 67 billion dollar supplemental budget. The Pentagon is already moving to replace the Reaper with cheaper, swarm-capable drones.