Chicago – August 17, 2026
The United States has lost at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones during its ongoing conflict with Iran, representing roughly one-quarter of the US military’s Reaper fleet, according to The Washington Post.
The losses are estimated to be worth more than $1.3 billion. The Reaper, used for surveillance, intelligence gathering and precision strikes, has been heavily deployed around the Strait of Hormuz.
US officials told the newspaper that not all of the drones were shot down. Some reportedly crashed after losing communication with their operators. Iranian forces and regional groups in Yemen and Iraq have also targeted the aircraft.
The scale of the losses has raised concerns within the US military about replacing the drones and maintaining sufficient surveillance and strike capabilities during the conflict.
The reported attrition highlights the vulnerability of relatively slow, low-flying unmanned aircraft when operating in contested airspace.
