US reports 81 aircraft lost or damaged in Iran conflict since February

The Congressional Research Service released an updated assessment on October 5, 2026, documenting 81 U.S. military aircraft lost or damaged since the United States and Israel launched military operations against Iran on February 28, 2026. The count nearly doubles the 42 aircraft recorded in May, reflecting revised assessments of helicopter losses, damage from an September Iranian strike on a Jordanian base, and a sharply higher tally of destroyed MQ-9 Reaper drones.

The damaged or destroyed aircraft include 12 F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets, two A-10 Thunderbolt attack aircraft, seven KC-135 tanker aircraft, one E-3 Sentry airborne early warning plane, one MQ-4C Triton surveillance drone, and 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones. The figures were compiled from public sources including news reports, Department of Defense statements, U.S. Central Command announcements, and DoD inspector general findings. The Congressional Research Service cautions that the total is not a definitive count of destroyed aircraft, as some damaged aircraft may have returned to active service, and the figure "may remain subject to revision due to multiple factors, which may include classification, ongoing combat activity, and attribution."

The deadliest single incident was the March 12 crash of a KC-135 Stratotanker in western Iraq, which killed all six crew members. According to U.S. Central Command, the loss was not the result of hostile or friendly fire. A second KC-135 was damaged in the same incident and made an emergency landing at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel. In July, an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter from the aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush made an emergency landing in the Arabian Sea with no indication of hostile action; the Navy identified the fourth crew member as Navy Commander Gabriel Edwards and suspended search operations on July 5.

A Pentagon inspector general report released September 14 documented significant damage to U.S. military bases and diplomatic facilities in the Middle East, with at least hundreds of buildings and other facilities damaged and more than 50 aircraft damaged or destroyed during the period from February 28 to June 30. Iranian strikes on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia damaged five KC-135 tankers in mid-March and an E-3 Sentry in a direct hit on March 27. Congress is considering whether to approve funding requests to repair or replace damaged aircraft and will use the losses to assess threats posed by the conflict and whether adjustments are needed to U.S. equipment, tactics, or base deployment posture.

According to The Intercept, citing unnamed U.S. administration officials, damage inflicted to U.S. bases in the Middle East has been so severe that Washington will likely never fully restore its military presence in the region to its former scale, with operations at key bases "radically disrupted." The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the Department of Defense spent approximately $38 billion on the Iran conflict over the five-month period ending August 1, 2026. The Donald Trump administration has signaled an end to large-scale military operations against Iran and a transition to economic pressure through sanctions.