The Pentagon’s money minder estimates that aircraft losses account for almost 25% of the total $29 billion cost of the war in Iran so far. Testifying before congressional hearing earlier this month, Acting Pentagon Comptroller Jules W. Hurst said by his math, the U.S. military has lost 42 aircraft worth about $7 billion in the three months since Operation Epic Fury began. The calculations are based on the replacement cost of the aircraft, not their current value. Some will have to be replaced with different airframes because they are out of production. Hurst used media reports and statements by the military as the basis for his testimony because the Department of Defense has not yet issued a report on losses from the conflict. So far 15 service members have been killed, including six aboard a KC-135 that crashed following a collision with another KC-135 early in the conflict.
By far the greatest aviation losses are in uncrewed aircraft. So far 24 MQ-9 Reaper drones worth a total of $720 million have been lost and one MQ-4C naval surveillance drone, worth as much as $250 million, has also been destroyed. In addition to the KC-135 that crashed, six others were taken out in ground attacks and since they can’t be replaced, their replacement cost is based on the $260 million cost of each KC-46 that will take their places. The Air Force has also lost four F-15Es, which will be replaced with F-15EXs ($125 million each), an F-35A ($195 million) and an A-10, which will be replaced with a $195 million F-35A.
An E-3 Sentry was also wrecked on the ground and there is no current replacement. The closest is the now-canceled E-7A Wedgetail, which may also make a comeback, and prototypes for those planes are worth $1.25 billion each. Two MC-130J Commando II special operations aircraft were also blown up on the ground by special forces during the operation to rescue a weapons systems operator on one of the downed F-15Es. The planes were destroyed to prevent sensitive equipment from being taken by the enemy. On the same operation, an HH-60W Jolly Green II with a replacement value of about $80 million was also taken out.
$29 billion in aviation war costs (so far) plus the $1.7+ billion which appears will finance a reward to criminals for acting like criminals. Yep, the U.S. taxpayer dollar is in good hands.
Yeah, but it’s all worth it to have higher gas prices!
All in the name of a rogue, terrorist regime whose government laughs at us at our literal expense and whose citizens hate every one of us with every fiber of their being. And no, I am not talking about Iran.
Russ your name was probably just erased from Pete’s birthday party invitee list.
But he’s still on the list for the next signal chat
So. Much. Winning.
People are probably calling the president asking him to stop. “Please stop, Mr. President, we have been winning so much, we can’t take all the winning anymore!”
Important are the losses to the Iranian regime. Losses of US aircraft are a drop in the bucket compared to the benefits to global peace through the end of these Islamo-terrorists who recently massacred tens of thousands of their own people who sought nothing more than freedom. Thank you President Trump for having the courage to do what no other world leader has the guts to do.
US missiles, crewed aircraft, and long-range armed and sensor-equipped drones are uniquely capable; they take years to replace.
Iran’s drones are, in comparison, short range, simple, and replaced in days.
Fortunately no Canadian aircraft have been damaged in this war. 😖
I’m a bit confused. Do I understand that we went into this war with Iran equipped with significant “obsolete “ aircraft (i.e., that had no identical model backup replacements)? If that’s more-or-less correct, that’s like the govt. requisitioning the museum at Oshkosh to provide a few C-47s and maybe an F-86 or two.
I’m missing the basic rationale behind this issue.
I’ve seen some wild accounting in my day but this methodology tops the charts.
Reminds me of the time one of my bosses needed to hire a finance person. He asked each candidate one last question “How much is two plus two?” Most said four and some said four or 5-1 or some other clever answer.
The one he hired answered “What would you like it to be?”
Some context for Russ’ reporting. The Air Force has said that it flew 12,000 sorties in 6 weeks of fighting and, not counting drones, lost 17 aircraft or about 1.5 per 1,000 sorties. In the 116,000 sorties flown by the Air Force and Navy in Desert Storm, 40 aircraft were lost in combat and non-combat situations, or about 0.35 aircraft per 1,000 sorties. In Vietnam against a foe armed by the Soviets and China, we lost about 0.4 aircraft per 1,000 sorties.
If we are going to count losses per 1,000 sorties, we should probably distinguish between aircraft which were destroyed during sorties, and aircraft not on a sortie which were destroyed by an enemy sortie.