The US has lost at least 45 of its MQ-9 Reaper drones, around 25% of its fleet, in its War on Iran.
“Three US officials familiar with the matter” confirmed the losses. They compound American shortages of missiles and munitions, including of air defense interceptors and offensive missiles, which have limited the Trump Administration’s options almost six months into its war.
The Reaper, which conducts surveillance and targeted strikes, costs between $30 million and $50 million depending on its sensors and weapons. The potential cost of recent losses is more than $1.3 billion.
The US military has around 185 Reapers, 165 in the Air Force and 20 in the Marine Corps. Others are operated by American intelligence agencies.
The drone has been used around the Strait of Hormuz, controlled by Iran. Because it flies slowly and often at low altitudes, it is vulnerable to interception by the Iranians, Yemen’s Houthis, and Tehran-backed militias in Iraq.
A fourth US official said some of the Reapers crashed after their operators’ communications link failed.
The US has expended more than 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles and more than 1,000 Patriot and THAAD missiles during the war, cutting deeply into stockpiles.
Donald Trump has insisted that the US faces no shortage of weapons, even as he has pulled back from wider strikes inside Iran.
But in May, Lt. Gen. David Tabor told the Senate that the number of remaining Reapers had fallen to about 135. He said he was “concerned” and the Air Force was exploring how to replenish its fleet quickly.
