A fully armed MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle taxis down the runway at an air base in Afghanistan on its way to another wartime mission. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Brian Ferguson).
Iran has destroyed more than two dozen MQ-9 Reaper combat drones of the United States military since the start of the war, Bloomberg reported on May 21, citing unnamed sources.
MQ-9 drones are primarily used to collect intelligence, but have the ability to conduct pinpoint strikes. The advanced drones can operate for more than 27 hours and reach altitudes of over 25,000 feet. A single Reaper drone could cost about $30 million or more.
The losses are estimated at around $1 billion, according to Bloomberg, which noted that these losses represent nearly 20 percent of the Pentagon’s pre-war inventory.
The latest MQ-9 loss took place on May 6, close to a month into the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran. It was shot down by Iranian air defenses over Qeshm.
Bloomberg said that some of the drones were downed by Iranian air defenses mid-flight, while others were destroyed on the ground by strikes on U.S. facilities, or lost in operational accidents.
Previous reports on the losses only mentioned MQ-9s being lost mid-flight, although satellite images confirmed that multiple hangers used to house Reaper drones were hit, specifically in Kuwait’s Ali Al Salem Air Base and Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates.
Bloomberg’s latest report didn’t clarify if the losses include a Reaper shot down by Iran-aligned armed factions over Iraq on March 9, or another shot down by the Houthis, who are also allied to the Islamic Republic, over Yemen more recently on May 17.
These costly losses certainly had a direct impact on the operational capabilities of the U.S. military, especially when it comes to intelligence collection.
They also confirm that the U.S. and Israel have failed to degrade Iran’s defense and offensive capabilities in a significant way.
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go iran! 🇮🇷💪🇮🇷💪🇮🇷💪
these were all bird strikes and fires in the laundry area.
us intelligence on iran sucks so bad because they get theirs from the apartheid regime. the recent us calamity attack that failed so bad because their aircraft got bogged whilst landing, was due to intelligence of the apartheid regime. clearly there is no intelligence in present day isreal. just how much this present warmongering will cost the america taxpayer is anyone’s guess.
the us tax payer is now totally pissed off with israel, and with the mid terms coming will show it, which is why bibi is yoyoing between his bunker and washington.
yes, but they’re just expendable goyim put on the earth to serve the chosen people like donkeys. all amerikunt politicians are just bought like street corner whores and blackmailed by the epstein joo lobby.
the trumpster has lost his maga and his mojo. history will probably record the trumpster throwing away his presidency for isreal. the only people left in maga are most probably zionists.
keep it up iran and iraq, only another 80% to go.
total number built is 575 as of 2026. the usaf operated over 300 mq-9 reapers as of may 2021. 24 destroyed drones is 8% not 20%.
the losses are quite underreported. almost all bases hit. many hangars destroyed especially in gulf countries. it is likely than way more than 24 drones have been lost by us il coalition.