The United States (US) has lost around 45 of its MQ-9 Reaper surveillance and strike drones during its over five-month long conflict with Iran, according to a report by theย Washington Post. However, not all of them were shot down and some crashed after losing communication with their operators.
The report, which was published Thursday, cited officials and said the number of drones lost constitutes roughly 25 per cent of the US military fleet. The US has around 185 Reaper drones when the Iran war began earlier this year. Of them, 165 were with the US Air Force (USAF) and 20 were with the Marine Corps.
This would cost the taxpayers more than USD 1.3 billion, the Washington Post report said.
Reaper drones: US’s prominent asset for counterterrorismย
The Reaper drones were inducted by the US in 2007. Since then, they have been a prominent asset for the US military in their counterterrorism and anti-piracy operations in Afghanistan, and parts of the Middle East, including Iraq, Syria and Yemen.
An agreement was signed between India and the US in 2024 under which the latter would supply 31 Reaper drones to the former. The deliveries are expected to begin in 2029. Reports state that the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force (IAF) will receive eight Reapers each, while the Indian Navy will get 15 drones.
The deal also states that 10 Reapers will be procured in fly-away condition and 21 will be assembled in India.
The growing cost of Iran war
The Washington Post‘s report has once again reignited the debate over the cost of the war in Iran. In July, US War Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Iran war costed the US around 37.5 billion dollars, as he sought another USD 87 billion in congressional funding for the Pentagon.
“Without these funds, we face critical shortfalls that threaten our ability to also simply pay our service members, rapidly replenish equipment and munitions, and sustain vital operations without disruption,” Hegseth had said.
Multiple reports have stated that the US is now considering ways to get out of the war. The Trump administration is even ready to stop all hostilities even without a nuclear deal if Iran decides to open the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, Iran has stated that it is ready to continue the conflict till Trump’s presidency ends in 2028.
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