Iran has shot down 30 US Reaper drones, US official says
Iran claimed to have shot one Reaper down during U.S. strikes on Tuesday.
Iran has downed roughly 30 U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drones since the start of the war, a U.S. official said Wednesday.
The Reaper, which entered Air Force service in 2007, has been a centerpiece of U.S. counterterrorism operations across the Middle East and other conflict zones, reflecting the military’s growing reliance on unmanned aircraft during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Reaper was designed to operate in environments where the U.S. had established air dominance. That advantage has been repeatedly challenged by Tehran.
The Air Force announced its final five-year purchasing contract forReapers in 2020, and manufacturer General Atomics closed the production line last year after building 575 of them. The final lot cost about $16 million each when purchased in a batch of four, according to C. Mark Brinkley, a General Atomics spokesman.
Iran claimed to have shot down one Reaper during U.S. strikes on Tuesday and Iran state media claimed an "enemy" drone had been shot down over southern Iran during strikes on Wednesday.
In May, Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, the Air Force’s top officer, told lawmakers during a budget hearing that the Reaper has emerged as a “most valuable player” in the war with Iran.
“We’ve made many, many strikes,” he said, referring to the Air Force’s use of the drone. “No other platform is even close.”
The news comes as the U.S. carried out another round of strikes against Iran on Wednesday after President Donald Trump signaled the cease-fire, which has been fragile from the start and repeatedly punctured by strikes and counterstrikes, was over.
"The United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway," CENTCOM said Wednesday in a statement on X.
The U.S. has lost several aircraft in the war, including when Kuwaiti air defenses mistakenly shot down three U.S. F-15 fighter jets in March. All crew members ejected. In March, a KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq after a midair collision with another KC-135. All six crew members of the aircraft which crashed were killed.
In April, an Air Force F-15 was brought down by Iranian fire. The pilot was rescued soon after and the weapon system officer was rescued two days later. In addition to the F-15, an Air Force A-10 providing close-air support for the rescue operation was hit by Iranian fire but managed to make its way to Kuwait where the pilot ejected safely before the plane crashed.
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