File image.
The United States Department of Defense has lost eight MQ-9 Reaper drones in the Middle East since the start of the month, CBS News reported on April 9.
The report, which cites two American officials, noted that the latest losses brought the total number of such drones lost in the Iran war up to 24.
The drones represent a loss of about $720 million. Depending on the variant, a single Reaper drone can cost about $30 million or more.
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.
Over the past nine days, Iranian state media released videos showing the successful interception of four drones, alleged to be Reaper.
Qaem-118, a jet-powered, tube-launched kinetic interceptor, was credited with most of these recent kills. The interceptor, equipped with an imaging thermal seeker, was especially designed to take down drones. It is reported to have a range of up to 25 kilometers.
The CBS News report came just a day after the U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire to hold talks after mediation by Pakistan.
At the start of the war more than a month ago, the U.S. and Israel largely succeeded in neutralizing the upper tiers of Iran’s air defense network. Nevertheless, the Islamic Republic’s short-range air defense systems survived, and managed to score dozens of interceptions against not just drones, but also fighter jets.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence
NOW hosted at southfront.press
Previously, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.org.
The .org domain name had been blocked by the US (NATO) (https://southfront.press/southfront-org-blocked-by-u-s-controlled-global-internet-supervisor/) globally, outlawed and without any explanation
Back before that, from 2013 to 2015, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.com
iran lost the biggest submarine collection of any non coastal nation on earth as well as an entire navy. keep it real. 150 vessels including subs destroyers frigates. hundreds of billions of dollars worth.
wonderful comment by a willing slave
coglione i soldati devono stare in caserma e non rallegrarsi delle distruzioni e morte di tante persone rispetta la vita e gli altri popoli.
the video shows naval vessels getting destroyed are out in the open, with no personnel around or equipment, as in they are just moored on an empty key or on a boye. so anyone can say the iranian navy was destroyed.
israel and usa will demolish a few more schools in retaliation!
as an iranian leader recently stated, the zonists either rape children or murder them.
every time you comment like this you score an “own goal”. keep it up!
i’d like to meat your daughter…
such weird “culture”
two e’s in meet.
i’d like idi amin to meet your mother and gf.
seig heil!
the usadmin is beginning to realise that air superiority is no longer a given and because of that, they are stumped. everything they try fails miserably. now they want some breathing space disguised as yet another ceasefire talks. we all know how that goes.
trump’s unprovoked and illegal war of aggression against persian civilians will be revenged
i’m sure iran and its valiant irgc knows that, which is why they are still launching retaliation attacks.
according to liveuamap: “pakistan air force established a “protective shield” across iran and persian gulf supported by fighter jets & awacs to protect iranian delegation.”
its a turkey shoot! 👍 how many of those drones remain? not many, im sure.
the air dominance of us military products is diminished and diminishing every day. us war planners do not have products for modern warfare despite the foolish budget that plunders the nations wealth and future
so how is the “3 day” smo “epstein fury” going? have we won yet, yes no.
chi paga la ricostruzione dell’iran il coglione trump così impara smette di fare guerra al mondo è stupido lui il deep state e militari e cia.
se i dati relativi ai pedaggi sono esatti, saranno i pedaggi di hamuz a finanziare la ricostruzione e il dollaro statunitense non avrà alcuna influenza sulle finanze.
so much for the us boast that they have 100% air supremacy over iran.
insurance pays, no problem..