Secret list leaked! Attack on Iran cost the USA dearly

MİLLİYET.COM.TR / The extent of losses suffered by the USA in the Iran war so far has been revealed in a new report.

According to the New York Post, based on the report of the Congressional Research Service (CRS), at least 81 aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles and helicopters belonging to the US army have been lost or damaged since the start of the war. It is estimated that the total financial loss reached 3.3 billion dollars.

The notable part of the list included some of the most advanced combat vehicles of the US army. Among the damaged vehicles were an F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter jet and 12 F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets.

'EACH'S VALUE IS OVER 30 MILLION DOLLARS'

While it is stated that the value of each of the F-15Es is over 30 million dollars, three of these planes were shot down as a result of friendly fire over Kuwait on March 2. Another F-15E was shot down over Iran the following month.

Eight F-15Es also suffered minor damage during Iranian strikes on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan on 9 and 10 September. According to the report, all of the damaged aircraft were later returned to service. However, losses in US air power were not limited to warplanes.

45 REAPERS SUDDENLY LEAVED THE FLEET

One of the most striking items in the balance sheet was the loss of at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles. The value of each of these UAVs, which can be used in tasks such as surveillance and missile attacks, is estimated to be between 30 and 50 million dollars.

These losses also led to a serious decline in the US Reaper fleet. In his statement to the Senate in May, the US general, who did not want to be named, reported that the fleet had decreased to 135 vehicles. Yet the Air Force is required to have at least 189 deployable Reapers on hand at all times.

CLAIM 'F-35 WAS ALSO DAMAGED'

In the CRS analysis, it was also claimed that the F-35A, one of the fifth generation warplanes of the USA, was damaged. It was claimed that the plane, worth over 92 million dollars, was the target of fire opened by Iran on March 19.

US losses include an E-3 Sentry early warning and surveillance aircraft worth $270 million. According to Air Force data, there were 32 of this platform, which was developed based on the Boeing 707 passenger plane and is now aging but of critical importance for the US military, as of 2015.

The US also lost an A-10 Thunderbolt II close air support aircraft in April. Another A-10 was damaged during the attack on Jordan in September.

BALANCE SHEET REACHED 81 AIRCRAFT

In the CRS analysis cited by the New York Post, the full list of US aircraft lost or damaged during the Iran war reveals a striking picture.

Accordingly, the US army has 45 MQ-9 Reapers, 12 F-15E Strike Eagles, 7 KC-135 Stratotankers, 4 AH-6 Little Birds, 3 MQ-1s, 2 A-10 Warthogs, 2 MC-130J Commando II, 1 F-35A Lightning II, 1 E-3 Sentry, 1 HH-60W Jolly Green II, 1 MQ-4C. Triton lost or damaged a total of 81 aircraft, including 1 AH-64 Apache and 1 MH-60 Sea Hawk.

According to the list, the losses include many different categories of aircraft, from warplanes to aerial refueling platforms, from special operations aircraft to surveillance systems, from attack and rescue helicopters to high-altitude UAVs.

TOTAL COST OF THE WAR IS 43.6 BILLION DOLLARS

The US's financial burden in the Iran war is not limited to aircraft alone. US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced last month that the total cost of the war had risen to 43.6 billion dollars. This figure means an increase of $5 billion compared to the estimate in August.

There was also a remarkable jump in arms expenditures in a short time. The cost of weapons, estimated at $21.7 billion in the Congressional Budget Office's latest report, increased by more than $6 billion in just over a month, reaching $28.1 billion in CENTCOM's estimate.