A Congressional report released on May 19 revealed that the United States military lost at least 42 aircraft during 40 days of war on Iran.
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The report, prepared for Congress using information from the Pentagon, United States Central Command, and defense media outlets, estimated the total cost of the aircraft losses at approximately $2.6 billion. The aerial losses include fighter jets, surveillance aircraft, refueling planes, combat rescue helicopters, and drones.
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Among the aircraft destroyed or damaged, according to the document, were four F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets, one F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter jet, one A-10 Thunderbolt II attack jet, seven KC-135 Stratotanker refueling planes, and one E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control aircraft.
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The report also listed the loss of two MC-130J Commando II special operations transport planes, one HH-60W Jolly Green II special operations helicopter, 24 MQ-9 Reaper combat drones, and one MQ-4C Triton high altitude surveillance naval drone.
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Replacing some of the destroyed aircraft could require restarting production lines for systems that are no longer manufactured, the document said.
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It also noted that the destruction of an E-3 Sentry could force the Pentagon to revive the cancelled E-7 Wedgetail replacement program at a cost exceeding $2.5 billion.
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Analysts cited in the document estimated that total aircraft losses and replacement programs could eventually exceed $7 billion.
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The number confirmed by the Congressional report is still short of the 56 U.S. military aircraft documented in Wikipedia’s list of aviation shootdowns and accidents during the Iran war, which only counts losses based on visual evidence or official self-admission.
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Commenting on the report, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the document confirmed the Islamic Republic’s ability to inflict serious damage on the U.S. military.
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“Months after initiation of war on Iran, US Congress acknowledges loss of dozens of aircraft worth billions,” Araghchi wrote on X. “Our powerful Armed Forces are confirmed as first to strike down a touted F-35,” he added, warning that any future conflict would feature “many more surprises.”
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Of course, the Congressional report shed light on only one side of U.S. military losses during the war on Iran. In addition to aerial losses, billions worth of air defense, radar and communication systems throughout the Middle East were destroyed or damaged by Iranian missile and drone strikes.
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The total cost of the 40 days of war on the Islamic Republic is reported to be around $25 billion. With peace deal reached yet, this may not be the final cost.
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