A Congressional report has disclosed that 42 US military aircraft have been lost or damaged since the start of Operation Epic Fury, the war with Iran. The losses include F-15 fighter jets, an F-35 Lightning II, drones, and a HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter, resulting from friendly fire and combat operations.
The F-35A alone is valued at approximately $110 million, while each F-15E Strike Eagle is worth between $65 million and $70 million. Four F-15Es have been destroyed, three shot down by friendly fire over Kuwait on 2 March and one during combat in Iran on 5 April, costing nearly $300 million. Seven KC-135 Stratotanker refuelling aircraft also crashed, with replacement costs estimated at $1.8 billion.
The Pentagon has revised its repair and replacement cost estimates from $25 billion to $29 billion. The total includes four F-15Es, one F-35A, one A-10, seven KC-135s, one E-3 Sentry, two MC-130Js, one HH-60W, 24 MQ-9 Reapers, and one MQ-4C Triton. Replacement costs are around $7 billion, though valuations vary.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi mocked the US over the report, stating: 'Months after initiation of war on Iran, US Congress acknowledges loss of dozens of aircraft worth billions. Our powerful Armed Forces are confirmed as first to strike down a touted F-35.' The report advises Congress to assess whether losses reflect changes in the threat environment or adversary capabilities.
Earlier, a CNN investigation found that a majority of US military sites in the Middle East had been damaged by Iran. US intelligence reports suggest Iran is rebuilding its military industrial base faster than expected, having restarted drone production and replaced missile sites.
