USA Lost 25% of Its MQ-9 Drone Fleet Due to War with Iran

The U.S. Air Force has lost about a quarter of its entire fleet of MQ-9 Reaper drones due to the war with Iran.

According to The Washington Post, approximately 45 drones were destroyed.

This represents about 25% of the entire U.S. fleet of these UAVs, which numbered approximately 185 units before the conflict began.

The losses resulted from the intensive use of Reapers over Iran and near the Strait of Hormuz. Due to these losses, the U.S. even resorted to purchasing remaining MQ-9 Reapers from General Atomics’ stockpiles.

Iran’s air defense system has become the main challenge for the Reaper. Due to their low speed and flights at relatively low altitudes, these drones proved vulnerable to air defense systems.

Some of the drones were destroyed not in the air, but at U.S. military bases during Iranian strikes.

According to The Washington Post, a single MQ-9 Reaper system can cost up to $50 million, meaning losses have already exceeded $1.3 billion.

At the same time, it is difficult to quickly make up for these losses. Producing new Reapers takes time, and the U.S. military must simultaneously provide drones for other operations.

The war with Iran has already led to a significant reduction in U.S. ammunition stocks, prompting the Pentagon to demand that defense contractors accelerate weapons production.

The Pentagon, incidentally, declined to comment on this article and consistently denies reports that its weapons stockpiles are running low.

Amid this, the U.S. is already looking for cheaper drones that can be deployed in large numbers.

The MQ-9 Reaper is a reconnaissance and strike unmanned aerial vehicle developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems. It is in service or used by Belgium, the United Kingdom, Denmark, India, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, the United States, France, and Japan.

Its practical service ceiling is approximately 13,000 meters, and its maximum endurance is 24 hours. The aircraft can carry a wide range of weapons, including AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-ground anti-tank missiles, Mark 82 guided bombs, and other armaments.