Congressional report details 42 US aircraft lost or damaged in Iran war, costing $29 billion
At least 42 U.S. military aircraft have been lost or damaged since the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran began on Feb. 28, according to a May 13 Congressional Research Service report. The losses include fighter jets, helicopters and drones, with repair or replacement costs contributing to a total war cost of about $29 billion. A tenuous ceasefire has been in place since April, but a peace deal remains elusive.
At least 42 U.S. military aircraft have been lost or damaged since the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran began on Feb. 28, according to a May 13 report by the Congressional Research Service.
The losses include four F-15E fighter jets, one F-35A fighter, one A-10 ground-attack aircraft, seven KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft, one E-3 airborne early warning-and-control system aircraft, two MC-130J special operations aircraft, one HH-60W combat search-and-rescue helicopter, 24 MQ-9 Reaper drones and one MQ-4C Triton drone. The Congressional Research Service gathered the information via news reports and statements by the Defense Department and U.S. Central Command.
At least 15 U.S. service members have been killed and more than 500 injured in the conflict. The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier was damaged in a laundry room fire. The war cost is estimated at $29 billion.
Pentagon comptroller Jules Hurst III, during a May 12 hearing before House lawmakers, said: "A lot of that increase comes from having a refined estimate on repair or replacement costs for equipment."
A tenuous ceasefire has been in place since April, but a peace deal remains elusive. Iran demands include an end to hostilities, U.S. withdrawal from areas near Iran, reparations, an end to sanctions and the release of frozen funds, and an end to the blockade on the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump declined an Iranian request to separate nuclear talks from peace discussions, calling it "totally unacceptable."