The Congressional Research Service of the United States has recently examined the losses incurred by the U.S. Army in the war with Iran. Since the start of the U.S. military invasion of Iran on February 28, 2026, a total of 81 fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and drones have been lost or damaged.
Details of Damage to Aircraft
This report, titled "Combat Damage to U.S. Aircraft in Operation Epic Fury; Considerations for Congress," has been updated and lists 81 damaged aircraft based on information released by the Department of Defense and U.S. Central Command. The statistics provided in this report may change due to the classification of information and the difficulty in accurately determining responsibility for some incidents; also, some damaged aircraft may return to service after repairs.
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Among these losses, 12 F-15E fighter jets are included. U.S. Central Command announced on March 2 that three F-15Es were destroyed due to friendly fire by U.S. forces over Kuwait. Additionally, on April 5, another F-15E was targeted and destroyed over Iran. On September 9 and 10, media reported that eight F-15s sustained superficial damage during Iran's attack on the successful Sultan Air Base in Jordan and subsequently returned to service.
Damage to Helicopters and Drones
Among other damaged aircraft, one F-35A was also damaged due to a ground fire in Iran. Additionally, two A-10 fighter jets are on this list. General Dan Keen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the U.S. Army, announced on April 6 that one A-10 was destroyed and crashed due to gunfire. Other reports indicate damage to one A-10 during Iran's attack on the successful Sultan Air Base in Jordan on September 9 and 10.
The report from the Congressional Research Service also mentions seven KC-135 refueling aircraft that have experienced multiple incidents. On March 12, two KC-135s had an accident in Iraq, one of which crashed, resulting in the deaths of all six crew members. Additionally, five KC-135s were damaged during Iran's attacks on air bases.
In the drone section, significant losses have also been recorded. More than 45 MQ-9 Reapers have been lost during operations against Iran. Additionally, one MQ-4C Triton and three MQ-1s are listed in this report as damaged aircraft.
Finally, in the helicopter section, one AH-64 Apache was shot down in the Strait of Hormuz, and four AH-6 Little Birds were destroyed during rescue operations. One MH-60 Sea Hawk and one HH-60W helicopter are also mentioned as damaged helicopters.
In summary, the losses of the U.S. Army in the war with Iran are categorized as follows: 12 F-15s, one F-35, two A-10s, seven KC-135s, one E-3 Sentry, two MC-130Js, 45 MQ-9s, one AH-64 Apache, one MQ-4, three MQ-1s, one rescue helicopter, and four AH-6s.
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