May 23, 2026, 6:02 pm
A May 13 assessment by the Congressional Research Service indicates that at least 42 U.S. military aircraft were either lost or sustained damage during the conflict involving Iran. The reported attrition affected a diverse mix of platforms, ranging from frontline combat aircraft to support assets, helicopters, and unmanned aerial systems.
According to the report, the affected inventory includes four F-15E Strike Eagles, one F-35A stealth fighter, one A-10 attack aircraft, seven KC-135 aerial refueling tankers, one E-3 AWACS airborne early warning aircraft, two MC-130J special operations transports, one HH-60W combat rescue helicopter, 24 MQ-9 Reaper drones, and one MQ-4C Triton surveillance UAV.
The Congressional Research Service based its findings on publicly available media reporting along with official disclosures released by the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).
Much of the public discussion has focused on the loss of MQ-9 Reaper drones due to the relatively large number involved.
In this video, Defense Updates analyzes what’s the truth about America losing 24 MQ-9 drones to Iran ?
#defenseupdates #mq9reaper #usiranwar
Chapters:
0:00 TITLE
00:11 INTRODUCTION
01:32 SPONSORSHIP – NordVPN
02:06 LEADERSHIP ACKNOWLEDGED ITS IMPACT
04:57 NOT TOO EXPENSIVE
06:23 NOT JUST STRIKE, BUT PLAYED KEY ROLE IN ‘ISR’
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