Cost of Iran war explodes as toll on US air fleet nearly doubles

The U.S. military has lost or sustained damage to at least 81 aircraft during the war with Iran — nearly double the number identified five months ago, according to a new government analysis that warns replacing some of the critical vehicles could strain the military’s ability to meet demands elsewhere.

The aircraft include some of the military’s most advanced fighters and critical support aircraft, as well as dozens of drones, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) noted in its report.

The tally is nearly double the 42 aircraft CRS identified in May as lost or damaged, although the increase partly reflects additional information becoming publicly available and does not mean all 39 additional aircraft were lost or damaged since that assessment.

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CRS, a nonpartisan arm of the Library of Congress that provides research and analysis to lawmakers and congressional committees, identified 12 F-15E Strike Eagles, an F-35A Lightning II, seven KC-135 refueling tankers, an E-3 Sentry airborne warning-and-control aircraft and 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones among those lost or damaged since Operation Epic Fury began on Feb. 28, 2026.

The body also warned that losses among aging, high-demand aircraft could create capability gaps or increase risk in other theaters, while production constraints and competing demands could affect how quickly the military rebuilds its capacity.

The 81 aircraft were lost or damaged through a mix of Iranian attacks, enemy fire, friendly fire, accidents and aircraft deliberately destroyed during rescue operations — though some damaged aircraft have since returned to service.

“We do not comment on reports from outside organizations or non-DOW battle damage assessments,” a Department of War official told Fox News Digital when reached for comment on the report.

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CRS cautioned that the tally could continue to change because of classification, ongoing combat operations and questions of attribution.

The new accounting comes more than eight months into a war that has strained U.S. weapons stockpiles and raised broader questions about how quickly the defense industrial base can replenish what the military is using. A Pentagon inspector general report last month found that the U.S. had spent an estimated $22.3 billion on munitions through June alone and warned of “strategic inventory shortfalls.”

The Congressional Budget Office estimated in September that replacing equipment lost through Aug. 1 could cost between $1.9 billion and $3.3 billion, depending on the Department of War’s replacement plans.

Drones account for more than half of the aircraft in the new tally. At least 45 MQ-9 Reapers have been lost in operations against Iran, according to CRS, along with three MQ-1 drones and an MQ-4C Triton.

But while drones drive much of the raw number, the report also points to losses and damage among scarcer, harder-to-replace aircraft.

An E-3 Sentry was damaged in an Iranian attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia in March and was later reported to have sustained a “direct hit.” CRS specifically flagged the aging and limited E-3 fleet as an example of how losses among high-demand aircraft could create capability gaps or increase risks for U.S. forces in other theaters.

Iranian attacks have also inflicted damage on U.S. aircraft while they were on the ground at bases across the region. Five KC-135 tankers were reportedly damaged at Prince Sultan Air Base in March, while eight F-15Es sustained light damage during an Iranian strike on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan in September. The eight fighters were returned to service.

At least 18 U.S. service members have also died since the war began, though the Pentagon has divided those deaths between Operation Epic Fury and a separate category for the renewed fighting that began in July.

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Other losses illustrate the dangers surrounding recovery operations. Two MC-130J Commando II special operations aircraft were intentionally destroyed while supporting efforts to rescue the crew of a downed F-15E, while an HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter was damaged during the same rescue effort. Four AH-6 Little Bird helicopters were later destroyed by U.S. forces during separate rescue operations, according to the Defense Department inspector general.

Three F-15Es were destroyed by friendly fire over Kuwait in the opening days of the war, while an F-35A was later damaged by Iranian ground fire over Iran.

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CRS said the losses could prompt Congress to examine whether the U.S. industrial base can replace aircraft quickly enough to meet military requirements. The report also pointed to a broader operational question: whether the losses reflect changes in Iran’s capabilities that require the U.S. to adjust its equipment, tactics or basing posture.