For a war that was to be over in a “week” or so, Iran has displayed surprising fight-back capability that seriously questions US President Trump’s claim on April 1 that Iran “doesn’t have any spotters, they don't have anti-aircraft, they don't have radar,” and that American aircraft were “just floating over the top looking for whatever we want, and we’re hitting it.”
After 37 days of war, American air platform losses have mounted to four F-15 E ‘Strike Eagle’ fighters, a surprisingly high number of 17 MQ-9 ‘Reapers’, two A-10 ‘Warthog’ attack aircraft, while eight KC-135 Stratotanker refuellers, two E-3 air-borne early warning and control aircraft and two C-130 military transport aircraft have been put out of action.
With substantial damage to three helicopters, including two Sikorsky UH-60 ‘Black Hawk’ attack helicopters, the total number of US air assets in the ongoing conflict stands at 40, open source intelligence numbers indicate.
Interestingly, the Iranian air force has also lost about 40 military aircraft till now.
Comparatively, Israel has lost fewer assets with no fighter lost yet but a total of 18 UAVs including Elbit’s ‘Hermes’ and ‘Hermes’ and IAI’s ‘Eitan’ and ‘Heron’.
The four downed US F-15 E fighters include the three that were shot down over Kuwait by ‘friendly fire’ on March 2, reportedly by the Kuwaiti air force, and the F-15 E that was shot down by Iranian forces on April 3 over western Iran.
The damaged US aircraft fleet includes an F-35 ‘Lightning II’ that was damaged in a combat mission, most likely in gunfire by Iranian forces on March 19—making it the first time that the F-35 has been damaged in action.
A surprisingly high number of 17 American MQ-9 ‘Reapers’ have also been lost in the conflict. The MQ-9 is a medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) which forms the backbone of the US UAV fleet.
Equipped with high-end intelligence-gathering, surveillance and reconnaissance capability, it has a payload of Hellfire missiles, GBU munitions for precision strikes against high-value targets.
The US Air Force had also lost 10 MQ-9s in the conflict with Ansarullah Coalition forces in Yemen from October 2023 onwards.
This high loss of an expensive drone may increase calls to develop an enhanced version with superior survivability, with a lower radar cross section and infrared signature.
About 250-300 aircraft strong before the beginning of the US-Israel joint offensive, the Iranian air force mostly comprised ageing fighters and transporters, including American F-14s, a few MiG-29s and Chinese J-7s.
Make-wise, the biggest loss for the Iranians has been 10 Chinese-made Chengdu J-7 fighters, an aircraft China’s People Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) is decommissioning to make way for an air force that would comprise only fourth and fifth-generation fighters.