Washington, Oct. 8 -- The Iran war has cost the US military 81 aircraft, lost or damaged, and the bill to replace them could reach $3.3 billion, according to a Congressional Research Service report. That is only the equipment. The war itself has cost Americans at least $45 billion, and that figure leaves out damage to U.S. bases across the region.
Among the casualties are an F-35A stealth fighter and an E-3 Sentry, while the MQ-9 Reaper suffered particularly heavy losses. The airborne command-and-control aircraft the military relies on to track targets and manage airspace. Both are scarce, aging or both, and hard to replace.
The figure includes fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and drones, with the MQ-9 Reaper accounting for more than half...