The United States has lost 81 aircraft and drones in the Iran war, a loss that equates to $3.3 billion, according to a Congressional Research Service report titled "US Aircraft Combat Damage in Operation Epic Fury: Considerations for Congress".
The breakdown shows 12 F‑15E fighters, one F‑35A Lightning II, two A‑10 Thunderbolt IIs, seven KC‑135 Stratotanker refuelers, one E‑3 Sentry AWACS, two MC‑130J Commando IIs, one HH‑60W Jolly Green II, one MQ‑4C Triton, three MQ‑1 Predators, and 45 MQ‑9 Reapers were either destroyed or damaged.
Three F‑15Es were shot down in a friendly‑fire incident over Kuwait on March 2, and another fell over Iran a month later. Eight more F‑15Es sustained minor damage during Iranian strikes on the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan on September 9‑10.
Cost figures are stark: each F‑15E exceeds ₹30 million, the F‑35A is worth over ₹92 million, and every MQ‑9 Reaper sits between ₹30‑50 million. The E‑3 AWACS, based on a Boeing 707, carries a price tag of ₹270 million per aircraft.
The report cautions that figures may adjust as more classified data surfaces, and damaged aircraft might return to service after repairs. Meanwhile, the U.S. military’s weapon expenditures in Iran have spiked by over ₹6 billion in just over a month, from ₹21.7 billion to ₹28.1 billion.
White House and Pentagon officials have yet to comment, but the Congressional Research Service plan to table the findings before Congress in November, setting the stage for a deeper review of operational safety and fiscal impact.