The U.S. Has Lost 45 Reaper Drones in the Iran War — About a Quarter of the Fleet and More Than $1.3 Billion

The U.S. military has lost at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones since the Iran war began, roughly a quarter of the fleet, three U.S. officials told the Washington Post in an article published Aug. 13. Each aircraft costs between $30 million and $50 million depending on its sensors and weapons, putting the potential taxpayer cost above $1.3 billion for that system alone. A fourth official said not all were shot down; an unspecified number crashed after the communications link to their operators failed. About 185 Reapers were in the fleet before hostilities began on Feb. 28, 165 of them in the Air Force.

The losses compound a broader depletion of munitions that has narrowed the administration's military options and is not quickly reversible, given manufacturing lead times.

The Pentagon declined to comment and has denied that stockpiles are running low. The administration is seeking a $67 billion Iran war supplemental; Congress is in recess and Republicans are divided on how to move it.