Iran Shoots Down 30 Advanced US Drones as Trump Takes $1bn Hit
The US military has reportedly lost up to 30 MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) since the conflict with Iran began. The loss represents nearly a fifth of Washington’s pre-war fleet, with damages nearing $1 billion (£785 million).
Most of the drones were destroyed or severely damaged by Iranian military strikes. The MQ-9 Reaper is a dual-role military aircraft capable of reconnaissance and air strike missions, with each unit estimated at over $30 million (£23.5 million).
Although some variants are still produced for foreign customers, defence manufacturer General Atomics halted production of the MQ-9 Reaper last year. Bloomberg, citing RT and an anonymous source, reported on the scale of damage suffered by the US military during the conflict.
“Iran has destroyed over two dozen MQ-9 Reaper drones operated by US forces since the conflict began in late February,” reported on Monday, May 25, 2026.
In addition to being shot down by Iran’s air defence systems, some drones were destroyed on the ground by missile strikes and accidents. As a result of these losses, the US fleet has plummeted to around 135 aircraft, far below the military’s minimum requirement of 189 units.
“The fleet has now fallen to approximately 135 aircraft, well below the Air Force’s long-standing minimum requirement of 189 units,” said Lieutenant General David Tabor, Deputy Chief of Staff for Planning and Programmes at the Pentagon.
Earlier this month, the Congressional Research Service (CRS), an independent research body under the US Library of Congress, released an official report titled ‘US Combat Aircraft Losses in Operation Epic Fury’. The document estimated the US military lost 24 MQ-9 Reaper drones and one MQ-4C aircraft.
In total, the report recorded 42 US military aircraft lost in combat, including four F-15E fighter jets, one F-35A fighter, one A-10 Thunderbolt II ground-attack aircraft, seven KC-135 Stratotanker refuelling aircraft, and a helicopter.
During testimony before the House Appropriations Committee’s defence subcommittee last Tuesday, Acting Pentagon Comptroller Jules Hurst revealed that military spending for the Iran operation had surged far beyond initial projections.
“The cost of military operations against Iran has ballooned from an initial $25 billion (£19.6 billion) to $29 billion (£22.7 billion) due to repair and replacement costs,” Hurst said, citing the factors driving up war expenses.