The US military has experienced substantial losses of its advanced MQ-9 Reaper surveillance and strike drones during the Iran conflict.
IMAGE: An MQ-9 Reaper. Photograph: Senior Airman Helena Owens/US Air Force
Key Points
The US military lost at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones during the conflict with Iran.
These losses represent approximately 25 per cent of the US military’s Reaper fleet, costing over USD 1.3 billion.
Not all drones were shot down; some crashed due to communication link failures.
India has signed an agreement to procure 31 MQ-9 Reaper drones, with deliveries starting in 2029.
US Air Force officials are concerned about the losses and are exploring ways to replenish the fleet.
The US lost at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper surveillance and strike drones during the war with Iran, The Washington Post reported on Thursday quoting unnamed officials.
According to the Post, the number of drones lost constitutes roughly 25 per cent of the US military fleet, potentially costing the taxpayer more than USD 1.3 billion.
A US official, quoted by the newspaper, said that not all Reapers were shot down, some crashed due to a failure of the communication link.
Impact Of Drone Losses On US Military
In 2024, India signed an agreement with the US to procure 31 MQ-9 Reaper drones for its armed forces, with deliveries expected to begin in 2029.
The Reaper drones were inducted by the US in 2007 and have been a prominent asset for America’s counterterrorism operations in the Middle East and other conflict zones like Afghanistan and Iraq.
There were approximately 185 Reapers in the US military fleet — 165 in the Air Force and 20 in the Marine Corps — before the conflict began, according to public budget data and the services.
In May, Lt Gen David Tabor, a senior Air Force officer at the Pentagon, told the Senate that the number of remaining drones had fallen to about 135.
At the time, Tabor told lawmakers he was “concerned” about the losses and that the Air Force was exploring how to quickly replenish its fleet.