Iran War WRECKS 81 U.S. Aircraft Worth $3.3 Billion, Dealing A Devastating Blow To Air Power

Oneindia

The Iran war has taken a major toll on the U.S. Air Force, with 81 American military aircraft reportedly destroyed or damaged, according to the Congressional Research Service.    The losses include F-15E fighters, an F-35, 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones, refueling tankers and an E-3 surveillance aircraft. The aircraft losses are valued at up to $3.3 billion.    The report also highlights three F-15E aircraft lost to friendly fire over Kuwait during the early days of the conflict. Meanwhile, the U.S. Reaper fleet has reportedly fallen below its required readiness level.    With the Iran war already costing tens of billions of dollars, the growing aircraft losses are raising questions about U.S. military readiness and the long-term impact on American air power.    Watch the full report for the latest details on U.S. Air Force losses, Iran war costs, damaged aircraft and military readiness.    #IranWar #Iran #USAirForce #USMilitary #IranConflict #USIran #MilitaryNews #F35 #F15 #MQ9Reaper #ReaperDrone #USMilitaryLosses #AirForce #Pentagon #DefenseNews #WarNews #IranNews #BreakingNews #WorldNews  ~PR.462~ED.420~GR.538~HT.178~VG.HM~

Transcript

00:25A new Congressional Research Service report

00:29is putting the scale of U.S. aircraft losses in the Iran war under the spotlight.

00:35According to the CRS report updated October 5,

00:40as many as 81 U.S. fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft,

00:45including unmanned systems, have reportedly been lost or damaged

00:49since Operation Epic Fury began on February 28.

00:54The list includes some of America's most advanced and expensive military platforms.

01:00Among them are 12 F-15E Strike Eagles,

01:051 F-35A Lightning II,

01:082 A-10 Warthogs,

01:107 KC-135 Aerial Refueling Aircraft,

01:15an E-3 Sentry AWOGS,

01:182 MC-130J Special Operations Aircraft,

01:23and an HH-60W Rescue Helicopter.

01:26But the biggest number comes from drones.

01:29The CRS tally includes about 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones,

01:36along with other unmanned aircraft losses.

01:39Some of these aircraft were destroyed,

01:42others were damaged and later returned to service.

01:45The report also notes that the total could change because of classification issues,

01:51ongoing operations,

01:52and difficulties determining exactly how individual aircraft were lost.

01:57The figure is a major increase from an earlier CRS estimate of roughly 42 aircraft in May,

02:05reflecting additional losses and damage reported later in the conflict.

02:10And there is another major number,

02:13up to $3.3 billion.

02:15That figure comes from a Congressional Budget Office estimate

02:19of the potential cost of replacing equipment lost through August 1,

02:24depending on what systems the Pentagon chooses to replace them with.

02:29Importantly, $3.3 billion is not the total cost of the war.

02:34The CBO separately estimated that the Defense Department had already spent

02:39about $38 billion on the conflict through August 1,

02:44including munitions, operations, and equipment losses.

02:48The losses are also raising questions about the U.S. drone fleet.

02:52The MQ-9 Reaper has taken a particularly heavy hit,

02:57with reported losses adding pressure to a production line that was already winding down.

03:02For Congress, the bigger questions now go beyond the price tag.

03:07How quickly can these aircraft be replaced?

03:10Are existing U.S. forces sufficient for continued operations?

03:15And what changes may be needed in basing, tactics,

03:19and aircraft protection after months of combat?

03:22The aircraft numbers may still change,

03:25but the latest figures underline the growing material cost of the Iran conflict.

03:40For more than 1-in-Dia, the other countries have been accustomed to this,

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