At least 16 US military aircraft have been destroyed since the start of the conflict with Iran, including 10 MQ-9 Reaper drones shot down by enemy fire, while several others have been damaged in strikes and operational incidents, according to officials cited by Bloomberg.
The most severe losses were attributed to accidents, including three US F-15 fighter jets downed by friendly fire in Kuwait and a KC-135 refuelling tanker destroyed during a mid-air operation, killing all six crew members on board. Five additional KC-135 aircraft were reportedly damaged in an Iranian missile strike on a base in Saudi Arabia.
So far, only uncrewed Reaper drones have been downed by Iranian air defences, with at least nine destroyed in flight.
Another was hit on the ground at an airfield in Jordan by a ballistic missile. Two more were lost in accidents. The drones are designed to be expendable and are often deployed in high-risk environments due to their lower cost and lack of onboard pilots.
The scale of US operations may be contributing to the losses. Analysts claimed that the number of sorties flown in the early phase of the war exceeded those conducted during the opening of the Gulf War.
“The difference might be a much greater rate of effort,” said Peter Layton, as quoted by Bloomberg.
Despite early efforts to neutralise Iran’s air defences, achieving full air superiority has proven difficult. A US F-35 fighter jet was recently forced to make an emergency landing at a regional air base after being struck by what is believed to be Iranian fire, though the pilot survived, according to a CNN reported that quoted Centcom official.
US military officials acknowledge that only “localised air superiority” has been established in parts of Iranian airspace, highlighting ongoing operational challenges. The continued presence of active air defences is also complicating efforts to secure key routes such as the Strait of Hormuz.
Accidents during high-intensity operations are not uncommon, analysts say. “Periodic accidents like the tragic mid-air collision with the KC-135s are an unfortunate likelihood in large, high tempo, high pressure combat operations,” said Justin Bronk.
As the war enters its third week, Iran has maintained a steady pace of regional strikes, including attacks on energy infrastructure in Qatar and Saudi Arabia in retaliation for strikes on its South Pars gas field.
