Congressional Report Tallies 42 US Aircraft Lost in Operation Epic Fury Against Iran
A May 2026 Congressional Research Service report detailed 42 US aircraft lost or damaged during Operation Epic Fury, a 40-day campaign against Iran starting February 28, 2026. Drones accounted for 25 losses, including 24 MQ-9 Reapers. Manned losses included four F-15E Strike Eagles (three by friendly fire from a Kuwaiti F/A-18), a KC-135 crash in Iraq killing six crew, and multiple aircraft damaged at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. Despite losses, the MQ-9 Reaper was deemed the campaign's most valuable platform.
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Congressional report tallies 42 US aircraft lost or damaged in Operation Epic Fury
A Congressional Research Service report released in May 2026 tallied 42 US aircraft lost or damaged during Operation Epic Fury, the 40-day campaign against Iran that began February 28. Drones accounted for the heaviest losses, with 24 MQ-9 Reapers and one MQ-4C Triton lost. The first losses occurred March 1-2 when a Kuwaiti F/A-18 mistakenly shot down three F-15E Strike Eagles over Kuwait; all six crew ejected safely. A fourth F-15E was shot down over Iran on April 3, with both crew recovered. A KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in Iraq on March 12, killing all six crew in a non-hostile incident. Iranian missiles damaged five more KC-135s at Prince Sultan Air Base on March 14. Other losses include an A-10 Thunderbolt II shot down during a rescue mission, two MC-130J Commando IIs destroyed on the ground in Iran, and damage to an E-3 Sentry and an HH-60W helicopter. Despite the losses, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach called the MQ-9 Reaper the campaign's most valuable platform.
Army TimesCongressional Report Tallies 42 US Aircraft Lost or Damaged in Operation Epic Fury
A Congressional Research Service report released in May 2026 tallied 42 US aircraft lost or damaged during Operation Epic Fury, the 40-day campaign against Iran that began February 28. Drones suffered the heaviest losses, accounting for 25 of the 42 aircraft, including 24 MQ-9 Reapers and one MQ-4C Triton. The first losses occurred March 1-2 when a Kuwaiti F/A-18 mistakenly shot down three F-15E Strike Eagles. Other losses included four F-15Es, seven KC-135 tankers (two shot down, five damaged on the ground), an A-10 Thunderbolt II, two MC-130J Commando IIs destroyed on the ground, an E-3 Sentry damaged, and an HH-60W helicopter damaged. Six aircrew were killed in a KC-135 crash. The report is based on open sources and may be subject to revision. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach called the MQ-9 Reaper the campaign's most valuable platform despite the losses.
Defense NewsCongressional report tallies 42 US aircraft lost or damaged in Operation Epic Fury
A Congressional Research Service report released in May 2026 tallied 42 US aircraft lost or damaged during Operation Epic Fury, the 40-day campaign against Iran that began February 28. Drones accounted for the heaviest losses, with 24 MQ-9 Reapers and one MQ-4C Triton lost. The first losses occurred March 1-2 when a Kuwaiti F/A-18 mistakenly shot down three F-15E Strike Eagles over Kuwait; all six crew ejected safely. A fourth F-15E was shot down over Iran on April 3, with both crew recovered. A KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in Iraq on March 12, killing all six crew in a non-hostile incident. Iranian missiles damaged five more KC-135s at Prince Sultan Air Base on March 14. An F-35A took ground fire over Iran but returned to base. An E-3 Sentry was damaged at Prince Sultan on March 27. An A-10 was shot down during a search-and-rescue mission on April 3. US forces destroyed two MC-130J Commando II aircraft on the ground in Iran during a rescue effort. Despite losses, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach called the MQ-9 Reaper the campaign's most valuable player.
Army TimesCongressional report tallies 42 US aircraft lost or damaged in Operation Epic Fury
A Congressional Research Service report released in May 2026 tallied 42 U.S. aircraft lost or damaged during Operation Epic Fury, the 40-day campaign against Iran that began February 28. Drones suffered the heaviest losses, accounting for 25 of the 42 aircraft, including 24 MQ-9 Reapers and one MQ-4C Triton. The report, based on open sources and Pentagon statements, details losses including three F-15E Strike Eagles shot down by friendly fire from a Kuwaiti F/A-18, a fourth F-15E shot down over Iran, a KC-135 Stratotanker crash in Iraq killing six crew, and damage to five KC-135s and an E-3 Sentry at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. An A-10 Thunderbolt II was lost during a search-and-rescue mission, and two MC-130J Commando II aircraft were destroyed on the ground in Iran. Despite the losses, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach called the MQ-9 Reaper the campaign's most valuable platform.
Navy TimesCongressional Report Tallies 42 US Aircraft Lost or Damaged in Operation Epic Fury
A Congressional Research Service report released in May 2026 tallied 42 US aircraft lost or damaged during Operation Epic Fury, a 40-day campaign against Iran that began February 28. Drones accounted for the heaviest losses, with 25 of the 42 aircraft, including 24 MQ-9 Reapers and one MQ-4C Triton. The first losses occurred March 1-2 when a Kuwaiti F/A-18 mistakenly shot down three F-15E Strike Eagles over Kuwait; all six aircrew ejected and were recovered. A fourth F-15E was shot down over Iran on April 3. A KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in western Iraq on March 12, killing all six crew members. Iranian missiles and drones struck Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, damaging five KC-135s and an E-3 Sentry. An A-10 Thunderbolt II was lost during a search-and-rescue mission. US forces destroyed two MC-130J Commando II aircraft on the ground in Iran during a rescue operation. Despite the losses, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach called the MQ-9 Reaper the campaign's standout platform.
Marine Corps TimesCongressional Report Tallies 42 US Aircraft Lost or Damaged in Operation Epic Fury
A Congressional Research Service report released in May 2026 tallied 42 US aircraft lost or damaged during Operation Epic Fury, the 40-day campaign against Iran that began February 28. Drones suffered the heaviest losses, accounting for 25 of the 42 aircraft, including 24 MQ-9 Reapers and one MQ-4C Triton. The first losses occurred March 1-2 when a Kuwaiti F/A-18 mistakenly shot down three F-15E Strike Eagles over Kuwait; all six crew ejected safely. A fourth F-15E was shot down over Iran on April 3, with both crew recovered. A KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in western Iraq on March 12, killing all six crew, the only fatalities on the list. Iranian missiles damaged five KC-135s at Prince Sultan Air Base on March 14. An F-35A took ground fire over Iran on March 19 but returned to base. An E-3 Sentry was damaged at Prince Sultan on March 27. An A-10 was shot down during a search-and-rescue mission on April 3. US forces destroyed two MC-130J Commando IIs on the ground in Iran on April 5. The Air Force Chief of Staff called the MQ-9 Reaper the campaign's most valuable platform despite the losses.
Army TimesCongressional report tallies 42 US aircraft lost or damaged in Operation Epic Fury
A Congressional Research Service report released in May 2026 tallied 42 US aircraft lost or damaged during Operation Epic Fury, the 40-day campaign against Iran that began February 28. Drones took the heaviest hit, accounting for 25 of the 42 losses, including 24 MQ-9 Reapers and one MQ-4C Triton. The first losses occurred March 1-2 when a Kuwaiti F/A-18 mistakenly shot down three F-15E Strike Eagles over Kuwait; all six aircrew ejected safely. A fourth F-15E was shot down over Iran on April 3. A KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in western Iraq on March 12, killing all six crew. Iranian missiles damaged five KC-135s at Prince Sultan Air Base on March 14, and an E-3 Sentry was damaged there on March 27. An A-10 was lost during a search-and-rescue mission on April 3. US forces destroyed two MC-130J special operations aircraft on the ground in Iran on April 5. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach called the MQ-9 Reaper the campaign's most valuable player despite the losses.
Air Force TimesCongressional report tallies 42 US aircraft lost or damaged in Operation Epic Fury
A Congressional Research Service report released in May 2026 tallied 42 U.S. aircraft lost or damaged during Operation Epic Fury, the 40-day campaign against Iran that began February 28. Drones suffered the heaviest losses, accounting for 25 of the 42 aircraft, including 24 MQ-9 Reapers and one MQ-4C Triton. The first losses occurred March 1-2 when a Kuwaiti F/A-18 mistakenly shot down three F-15E Strike Eagles over Kuwait; all six aircrew ejected safely. A fourth F-15E was shot down over Iran on April 3. A KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in western Iraq on March 12, killing all six crew members, the only fatalities on the list. Iranian missiles and drones struck Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia on March 14 and 27, damaging five KC-135s and an E-3 Sentry. Other losses included an A-10 Thunderbolt II shot down during a rescue mission, two MC-130J Commando IIs destroyed on the ground in Iran, and an HH-60W helicopter damaged. Despite the losses, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach called the MQ-9 Reaper the campaign's most valuable player.
Air Force TimesCongressional report tallies 42 US aircraft lost or damaged in Operation Epic Fury
A Congressional Research Service report released in May 2026 tallied 42 US aircraft lost or damaged during Operation Epic Fury, the 40-day campaign against Iran that began February 28. Drones accounted for the heaviest losses, with 25 of the 42 aircraft, including 24 MQ-9 Reapers and one MQ-4C Triton. The first losses occurred March 1-2 when a Kuwaiti F/A-18 mistakenly shot down three F-15E Strike Eagles over Kuwait; all six aircrew ejected safely. A fourth F-15E was shot down over Iran on April 3. A KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in Iraq on March 12, killing all six crew, the only fatalities on the list. Iranian missiles damaged five KC-135s and an E-3 Sentry at Prince Sultan Air Base. An A-10 was lost during a search-and-rescue mission, and two MC-130Js were destroyed on the ground in Iran. Despite losses, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach called the MQ-9 Reaper the campaign's most valuable platform.
Marine Corps TimesCongressional Report Tallies 42 US Aircraft Lost or Damaged in Operation Epic Fury
A Congressional Research Service report released in May 2026 provides the most complete public accounting of US aircraft losses during Operation Epic Fury, the 40-day campaign against Iran that began February 28, 2026. The report tallies 42 US aircraft lost or damaged, with drones suffering the heaviest losses—25 of the 42, including 24 MQ-9 Reapers and one MQ-4C Triton. Notable manned aircraft losses include four F-15E Strike Eagles (three shot down by friendly fire from Kuwait, one over Iran), a KC-135 Stratotanker crash in Iraq killing all six crew, five KC-135s damaged on the ground at Prince Sultan Air Base, an E-3 Sentry damaged, an A-10 Thunderbolt II shot down, and two MC-130J Commando IIs destroyed on the ground. Despite the losses, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach called the MQ-9 Reaper the campaign's most valuable platform.
Army TimesCongressional Report Details 42 US Aircraft Lost or Damaged in Operation Epic Fury
A Congressional Research Service report released in May 2026 tallied 42 US aircraft lost or damaged during Operation Epic Fury, the 40-day campaign against Iran that began February 28. Drones suffered the heaviest losses, accounting for 25 of the 42 aircraft, including 24 MQ-9 Reapers and one MQ-4C Triton. The report, based on open sources, details losses including three F-15E Strike Eagles shot down by a Kuwaiti F/A-18 in a friendly fire incident, a fourth F-15E shot down over Iran, a KC-135 Stratotanker crash in Iraq killing all six crew, and multiple aircraft damaged by Iranian strikes on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. Despite the losses, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach called the MQ-9 Reaper the campaign's most valuable platform. The report notes its count may be subject to revision due to classification and ongoing combat activity.
Marine Corps TimesCongressional report tallies 42 US aircraft lost or damaged in Operation Epic Fury
A Congressional Research Service report released in May 2026 tallied 42 U.S. aircraft lost or damaged during Operation Epic Fury, the 40-day campaign against Iran that began February 28. Drones accounted for the heaviest losses, with 24 MQ-9 Reapers and one MQ-4C Triton lost. The report, based on open sources, details losses including three F-15E Strike Eagles shot down by friendly fire from a Kuwaiti F/A-18, a fourth F-15E shot down over Iran, a KC-135 Stratotanker crash in Iraq killing six crew, and damage to five KC-135s and an E-3 Sentry from Iranian strikes on Prince Sultan Air Base. An A-10 Thunderbolt II was lost during a search-and-rescue mission, and two MC-130J Commando II aircraft were destroyed on the ground in Iran. Despite the losses, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach called the MQ-9 Reaper the campaign's most valuable platform.
Army TimesCongressional Report Tallies 42 US Aircraft Lost or Damaged in Operation Epic Fury
A Congressional Research Service report released in May 2026 tallied 42 US aircraft lost or damaged during Operation Epic Fury, the 40-day campaign against Iran that began February 28, 2026. Drones suffered the heaviest losses, accounting for 25 of the 42 aircraft, including 24 MQ-9 Reapers and one MQ-4C Triton. Notable manned aircraft losses included four F-15E Strike Eagles (three shot down by friendly fire from a Kuwaiti F/A-18, one shot down over Iran), two KC-135 Stratotankers (one crashed in Iraq killing all six crew, five damaged on the ground at Prince Sultan Air Base), an F-35A that took ground fire but returned to base, an E-3 Sentry damaged at Prince Sultan, an A-10 Thunderbolt II shot down during a rescue mission, and two MC-130J Commando IIs destroyed on the ground in Iran. The report is based on open sources and may be subject to revision. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach called the MQ-9 Reaper the campaign's most valuable platform despite the losses.
Military TimesCongressional Report Tallies 42 US Aircraft Lost or Damaged in Operation Epic Fury
A Congressional Research Service report released in May 2026 tallied 42 US aircraft lost or damaged during Operation Epic Fury, the 40-day campaign against Iran that began February 28, 2026. Drones suffered the heaviest losses, accounting for 25 of the 42 aircraft, including 24 MQ-9 Reapers and one MQ-4C Triton. The report, based on open sources and Pentagon statements, details losses including three F-15E Strike Eagles shot down by friendly fire from a Kuwaiti F/A-18, a fourth F-15E shot down over Iran, a KC-135 Stratotanker crash in Iraq killing six crew, five KC-135s damaged on the ground at Prince Sultan Air Base, an E-3 Sentry damaged, an A-10 Thunderbolt II shot down, and two MC-130J Commando IIs destroyed on the ground. The only fatalities listed are the six KC-135 crew members. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach called the MQ-9 Reaper the campaign's most valuable platform despite the losses.
Defense NewsCongressional report tallies 42 US aircraft lost or damaged in Operation Epic Fury
A Congressional Research Service report released in May 2026 tallied 42 U.S. aircraft lost or damaged during Operation Epic Fury, the 40-day campaign against Iran that began February 28. Drones suffered the heaviest losses, accounting for 25 of the 42 aircraft, including 24 MQ-9 Reapers and one MQ-4C Triton. The first losses occurred March 1-2 when a Kuwaiti F/A-18 mistakenly shot down three F-15E Strike Eagles over Kuwait; all six aircrew ejected safely. A fourth F-15E was shot down over Iran on April 3. A KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in western Iraq on March 12, killing all six crew members—the only fatalities on the list. Iranian missiles damaged five KC-135s at Prince Sultan Air Base on March 14, and an E-3 Sentry was damaged there on March 27. An A-10 was lost during a search-and-rescue mission on April 3. U.S. forces destroyed two MC-130J Commando II aircraft on the ground in Iran during a rescue effort. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach called the MQ-9 Reaper the campaign's most valuable platform despite the losses.
Marine Corps TimesCongressional Report Tallies 42 US Aircraft Lost or Damaged in Operation Epic Fury
A Congressional Research Service report released in May 2026 tallied 42 US aircraft lost or damaged during Operation Epic Fury, the 40-day campaign against Iran that began February 28. Drones accounted for the heaviest losses, with 25 of the 42 aircraft, including 24 MQ-9 Reapers and one MQ-4C Triton. The report, based on open sources, details losses including three F-15E Strike Eagles shot down by friendly fire from a Kuwaiti F/A-18, a fourth F-15E shot down over Iran, a KC-135 Stratotanker crash in Iraq killing six crew, five KC-135s damaged on the ground at Prince Sultan Air Base, an F-35A that took ground fire over Iran, an E-3 Sentry damaged at Prince Sultan, an A-10 Thunderbolt II shot down during a rescue mission, and two MC-130J Commando IIs destroyed on the ground in Iran. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach called the MQ-9 Reaper the campaign's most valuable platform despite the losses.
Army TimesCongressional report tallies 42 US aircraft lost or damaged in Operation Epic Fury
A Congressional Research Service report released in May 2026 tallied 42 US aircraft lost or damaged during Operation Epic Fury, the 40-day campaign against Iran that began February 28. Drones suffered the heaviest losses, with 24 MQ-9 Reapers and one MQ-4C Triton lost. The first losses occurred March 1-2 when a Kuwaiti F/A-18 mistakenly shot down three F-15E Strike Eagles over Kuwait; all six aircrew ejected and were recovered. A fourth F-15E was shot down over Iran on April 3. A KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in western Iraq on March 12, killing all six crew members. Iranian missiles and drones struck Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, damaging five KC-135s and an E-3 Sentry. An A-10 Thunderbolt II was lost during a search-and-rescue mission. US forces destroyed two MC-130J Commando II aircraft on the ground in Iran during a rescue operation. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach called the MQ-9 Reaper the campaign's most valuable player despite the losses.
Air Force TimesCongressional report tallies 42 US aircraft lost or damaged in Operation Epic Fury
A Congressional Research Service report released in May 2026 tallied 42 US aircraft lost or damaged during Operation Epic Fury, the 40-day campaign against Iran that began February 28. Drones took the heaviest hit, accounting for 25 of the 42 losses, including 24 MQ-9 Reapers and one MQ-4C Triton. The first losses occurred March 1-2 when a Kuwaiti F/A-18 mistakenly shot down three F-15E Strike Eagles over Kuwait; all six aircrew ejected and were recovered. A fourth F-15E was shot down over Iran on April 3. A KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in western Iraq on March 12, killing all six crew members. Iranian missiles and drones struck Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia on March 14, damaging five KC-135s, and again on March 27, damaging an E-3 Sentry. An A-10 Thunderbolt II went down on April 3 during a search-and-rescue mission. US forces destroyed two MC-130J Commando II aircraft on the ground in Iran during a rescue operation. Despite the losses, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach called the MQ-9 Reaper the campaign's standout platform.
Air Force TimesCongressional report tallies 42 US aircraft lost or damaged in Operation Epic Fury
A Congressional Research Service report released in May 2026 tallied 42 US aircraft lost or damaged during Operation Epic Fury, the 40-day campaign against Iran that began February 28. Drones took the heaviest hit, accounting for 25 of the 42 losses, including 24 MQ-9 Reapers and one MQ-4C Triton. The report, based on open sources, details losses including three F-15E Strike Eagles shot down by a Kuwaiti F/A-18 in a friendly fire incident, a fourth F-15E shot down over Iran, a KC-135 Stratotanker crash in Iraq that killed six aircrew, five KC-135s damaged by Iranian missiles at Prince Sultan Air Base, an E-3 Sentry damaged in a subsequent strike, an A-10 shot down during a rescue mission, and two MC-130J Commando IIs destroyed on the ground in Iran. Despite the losses, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach called the MQ-9 Reaper the campaign's standout platform.
Marine Corps TimesUS Air Force Commander: MQ-9 Reaper Drone Was Most Important Weapon in Iran War
General Kenneth Wilsbach, commander of the US Air Force, stated that the MQ-9 Reaper drone was the 'most valuable actor' on the battlefield during Operation Epic Fury against the Islamic Republic of Iran. He highlighted the drone's critical role in the conflict, though the United States lost approximately 30 of these drones during the operation. The statement underscores the strategic importance of unmanned aerial systems in modern warfare, particularly in high-intensity engagements. The report originates from Iran International, a regional media outlet, and provides a concise assessment of the drone's battlefield impact despite significant losses.
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