Report Finds That Iran Downed 42 U.S. Fighter Jets as War Costs Top $29 Billion

According to a congressional report, the U.S. has lost or damaged 42 aircraft in the Iran War, raising the Department of War’s cost estimate for the operations to $29 billion.

The report comes days after Acting Pentagon Comptroller Jules W. Hurst III testified during a May 12 hearing that the department’s cost estimate for military operations in Iran has increased to $29 billion.

Three F-15E Strike Eagles brought down by friendly fire over Kuwait were confirmed to have caused an estimated $300 million in damage on their own. The report, filed by the Congressional Research Service, confirmed earlier headlines about the cost of the jets that were brought down over Kuwait in March. . .

Four of them are listed as F-15E Strike Eagles – an older model with costly replacement parts. One F-15E Strike Eagle costs roughly $90 to $125 million per unit, according to Air Force estimates. Three of these models were shot down in Kuwait in friendly fire, while one shot down over Iran as the U.S. and Israel scrambled to pick up the pilots and crew unharmed.

The military also lost one F-35A Lightning II, worth approximately $82.5 million, an A-10 Thunderbolt II (often called the “Warthog”), worth approximately $13.4 million, and seven KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft, with each one ranging from $65 million to $79 million. (Read more from “Report Finds That Iran Downed 42 U.S. Fighter Jets as War Costs Top $29 Billion” HERE)

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