The US 'Iran War' Bill: US Losses Pile Up as Iran Conflict Enters Week 3

At least 16 US military aircraft have been destroyed since the start of the war with Iran, including 10 Reaper strike drones hit by enemy fire, with a half-dozen other planes badly damaged in attacks or accidents, according to a Bloomberg report.

The most serious losses were because of accidents: three US F-15s downed by friendly fire in Kuwait, and a KC-135 tanker destroyed during a refueling operation.

Five other KC-135s were reportedly damaged by an Iranian missile strike while parked at an airfield in Saudi Arabia.

So far only the uncrewed Reapers have been brought down by Iranian defences, with at least nine being destroyed in the air, according to a person familiar with the matter. One was hit at an airfield in Jordan by a ballistic missile, people familiar with the matter said.

The other two Reapers were lost to accidents. The drones are meant to be "attritable" — flown in higher-risk areas because they don't carry pilots and are much cheaper to replace than a crewed plane.