US Military Loses at Least 45 MQ-9 Reaper Drones in Conflict with Iran

The US military has reportedly lost at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones during its war with Iran, representing about 25 per cent of its fleet. The Reaper is used for surveillance and targeted strikes and can cost between $30 million and $50 million, depending on its sensors and weapons, according to the US Air Force.

The losses could therefore represent more than $1.3 billion in equipment costs, according to three US officials familiar with Pentagon data, quoted by the Washington Post. The drones have been used extensively around the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route that has emerged as a major flash point in the conflict. Their relatively slow speed and low-altitude operations have made them vulnerable to Iranian forces and Iran-aligned groups in Yemen and Iraq. A fourth US official said not all the drones were shot down. Some crashed after operators lost communications links with the aircraft, the official said.

Reaper fleet depleted

The US military had about 185 Reapers before the conflict, including 165 operated by the Air Force and 20 by the Marine Corps, based on public budget data and service figures. The figure excludes Reapers operated by US intelligence agencies. None of the Marine Corps' Reapers have been lost, according to Lt Col Joshua Benson, a Marine Corps spokesman. Those aircraft are primarily deployed in the Asia-Pacific region.

In May, Lt Gen David Tabor, a senior Air Force officer, told the Senate that the number of remaining Reapers had fallen to about 135. He said the Air Force was concerned about the losses and was exploring ways to replenish the fleet. The Pentagon is already phasing out the General Atomics-built Reaper and plans to replace it with a cheaper generation of armed surveillance drones capable of operating in swarms.

The Reaper losses also add to growing pressure on US military inventories after months of fighting with Iran and years of American military support for Ukraine. US forces fired more than 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles and more than 1,000 Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors during the first month of the Iran campaign, according to The Washington Post.

The depletion of some weapons has affected US military planning, with commanders reportedly changing defensive tactics and reserving some interceptors for threats considered more likely to cause damage. The Pentagon, however, has denied that its weapons stocks are running low. At the same time, the Trump administration has sought tens of billions of dollars from Congress to cover the costs of the Iran war and replenish depleted inventories. The administration is seeking approval for a $67 billion supplemental package for the Iran war. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has estimated that the conflict will cost $37.5 billion through the end of September, excluding the cost of rebuilding US bases damaged by Iranian strikes.

THAAD replenishment could take decades

A report by the American Enterprise Institute this week found that some US missile inventories could take years to replenish. The report said the Missile Defense Agency's maximum annual production capacity for THAAD interceptors is 96, while the Pentagon's proposed defence budget calls for 857 next year and nearly 2,600 over five years.

At current production rates, fulfilling that five-year requirement would take about 27 years, according to the report. AEI senior fellow Todd Harrison said manufacturing a single THAAD interceptor takes nearly three years. The Pentagon has held talks with defence companies and reached framework agreements aimed at increasing production of key munitions. However, the companies do not yet have contracts or funding to begin the planned expansion, the report said.