A total of 81 U.S. military aircraft have been destroyed or damaged during the ongoing war with Iran, according to a new report by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.
The report, released on Monday, and based on statements from authorities including the Department of Defense (DOD), its inspector general, and U.S. Central Command, said the military had lost several drones, airplanes and helicopters, and that half of the losses were of the important MQ-9 Reaper Drone, which is used for intelligence and surveillance.
Citing figures from the Congressional Budget Office, the report found that the total cost of the aircraft lost was between $1.9 billion and $3.3 billion. The Pentagon lost assets including an F-35A fighter jet and an E-3 Sentry.
The Pentagon referred Military.com to CENTCOM for comment.
Funding Pressures
The reported losses come as lawmakers continue to raise concerns about the costs of the conflict which, in its seventh month, has caused economic pressures at home, notably rising gas and grocery prices.
Iranian missiles and a banner showing a portrait of the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei are displayed in a military exhibition commemorating the anniversary of the start of the 1980-88 Iraq-Iran war at Baharestan Square, in Tehran, Monday, Sept. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Repeated congressional efforts to strike the Trump administration’s war powers have led to no pause, as the Republican-majority chambers have defended the military operation.
The report said that the reported losses “may raise several considerations for congressional oversight” including whether Congress “has sufficient information and time” to evaluate potential aircraft damages and losses, budgetary impacts, force sufficiency and operational risk.
“Congress may assess whether losses in certain high-demand platforms that are aging and limited in number, such as the E-3 Sentry, create capability gaps or increase risk in other theaters,” the report said.
A U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry aircraft flies in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility Aug. 26, 2026. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Tiffany A. Emery)
In July, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Senate Appropriations Committee lawmakers that if the DOD did not receive funding to the tune of $1.5 trillion, it would equate to the “greatest threat” the United States faces at home and abroad.
The administration has requested a $1.5 trillion defense budget from Congress, which includes a specific request for roughly $70 billion more to fund ongoing operations and naval blockades in the Middle East.
Full list of Aircraft Losses and Damage
The Congressional Research Service report said the following aircraft were lost or damaged:
Twelve F-15E Strike Eagle fighter aircraft
One F-35A Lightning II fighter aircraft
Two A-10 Thunderbolt II ground-attack aircraftSeven KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft
One E-3 Sentry airborne early warning-and-control system aircraft
Two MC-130J Commando II special operations aircraft
One HH-60W Jolly Green II combat search-and-rescue helicopter
One MQ-4C Triton high-altitude long-endurance uncrewed aircraft
Three MQ-1 multi-role uncrewed aircraft
Forty-five MQ-9 Reaper multi-role uncrewed aircraft
One AH-64 Apache attack helicopter
Four AH-6 Little Bird light attack helicopters
One MH-60 Sea Hawk maritime helicopter