The United States has lost or suffered damage to at least 81 military aircraft since fighting with Iran began, according to a new analysis from the Congressional Research Service — nearly double the 42 aircraft the nonpartisan research arm of the Library of Congress had identified just five months earlier.
CRS cautioned that the sharp rise does not mean 39 additional aircraft were lost or damaged in that time frame alone. Much of the increase reflects new information becoming public, rather than a sudden spike in losses.
Among the aircraft identified as lost or damaged since Operation Epic Fury began on Feb. 28, 2026 are 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.
Drones make up more than half of the total. In addition to the 45 Reapers, CRS counted three MQ-1 drones and an MQ-4C Triton among the losses. But the report also flagged damage to scarcer, harder-to-replace aircraft that could be more difficult for the military to make up quickly.
An E-3 Sentry was damaged in an Iranian attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia in March and reportedly took a direct hit. CRS pointed to the aging and limited E-3 fleet specifically as an example of how losing even a small number of high-demand aircraft could leave gaps in U.S. capability or raise risks for forces elsewhere.
Other damage occurred while aircraft sat on the ground. Five KC-135 tankers were reportedly damaged at Prince Sultan Air Base in March. Eight F-15Es sustained light damage during an Iranian strike on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan in September, though all eight were later returned to service.
Some losses came from the dangers of combat search-and-rescue missions rather than direct enemy fire. Two MC-130J Commando II special operations aircraft were deliberately destroyed by U.S. forces while supporting the rescue of a downed F-15E crew, and an HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter was damaged in the same operation. Four AH-6 Little Bird helicopters were later destroyed by U.S. forces during separate rescue efforts, according to the Defense Department inspector general.
Three F-15Es were destroyed by friendly fire over Kuwait in the war’s opening days, and an F-35A was later damaged by Iranian ground fire over Iran.
A Department of War official told Fox News Digital: “We do not comment on reports from outside organizations or non-DOW battle damage assessments.”
CRS warned that the figures could still change given classification issues, ongoing combat and unresolved questions over attribution.
Mounting Costs
The updated tally arrives more than eight months into a conflict that has already put heavy strain on U.S. weapons stockpiles. A Pentagon inspector general report last month estimated the U.S. had spent roughly $22.3 billion on munitions through June, warning 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 how the Department of War chooses to rebuild its fleet.
At least 18 U.S. service members have died since the war began, a toll the Pentagon splits between Operation Epic Fury and a separate round of fighting that resumed in July.
CRS said the growing losses could push Congress to examine whether the U.S. defense industrial base can replace aircraft fast enough to meet military demands, and whether the pattern of losses signals changes in Iran’s capabilities that require the U.S. to rethink its equipment, tactics or basing posture in the region.
