Iran has shot down 30 US Reaper drones, US official says
Iran shot down nearly 30 US MQ-9 Reaper drones This has been going on since the beginning of the war, a US official said on Wednesday.
Entering Air Force service in 2007, the Reaper has been at the center of U.S. counterterrorism operations in the Middle East and other conflict zones, reflecting the military’s increasing reliance on drones during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Reaper was designed to operate in environments where the United States has established air dominance. This advantage has been repeatedly challenged by Tehran.
U.S. Marine Corps – PHOTO: A Marine Corps MQ-9 Reaper drone prepares to take off for unmanned aerial system tactics training as part of Weapons and Tactics Instructor course 1-25, Oct. 5, 2024, at Laguna Army Airfield, Arizona.
The Air Force announced its final five-year purchase contract for Reapers in 2020, and manufacturer General Atomics shut down the production line last year after building 575 units. The final batch cost about $16 million each when purchased in batches of four, according to General Atomics spokesman C. Mark Brinkley.
Iran claimed to have shot down a Reaper during US strikes on Tuesday, and Iranian state media claimed an “enemy” drone was shot down in southern Iran during Wednesday’s strikes.
In May, the Air Force’s top officer, Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, told lawmakers at a budget hearing that the Reaper had emerged as the “most valuable player” in the war with Iran.
“We’ve conducted many, many strikes,” he said, referring to the Air Force’s use of drones. “No other platform is even close.”
The news came as the USA does another strike tour An attack was launched against Iran on Wednesday after President Donald Trump signaled the end of a ceasefire that has been fragile from the beginning and has been punctured by repeated attacks and counter-attacks.
“The United States holds Iran responsible for recent unwarranted attacks on commercial shipping and civilian crews traveling freely in the vital international waterway,” CENTCOM said in a statement on channel X on Wednesday. he said.
The US has lost several aircraft in the war, including when Kuwaiti air defenses mistakenly shot down three US F-15 fighter jets in March. All crew members were ejected. In March, a KC-135 refueling plane crashed in western Iraq after a mid-air collision with another KC-135. All 6 crew members of the crashed plane lost their lives.
In April, an Air Force F-15 was shot down by Iranian fire. The pilot was rescued soon after and the weapons system officer was rescued two days later. In addition to the F-15, an Air Force A-10 providing close air support to the rescue operation was also hit by Iranian fire but managed to reach Kuwait, where the pilot ejected safely before the plane crashed.
