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At least 16 US military aircraft have been destroyed since the conflict with Iran began, including 10 MQ-9 Reaper drones shot down by enemy fire, while several others have been damaged in strikes and operational incidents, according to officials cited by Bloomberg.The most serious losses were attributed to accidents, including three American F-15 fighters shot down by friendly fire in Kuwait and a KC-135 refueling tanker destroyed during a mid-air operation, killing all six crew members. Five additional KC-135 aircraft were reportedly damaged in an Iranian missile attack on a base in Saudi Arabia.
So far, only uncrewed Reaper drones have been downed by Iranian air defenses, at least nine of which have been destroyed in flight. Another was shot down by a ballistic missile at an airfield in Jordan. Two more died in accidents. Drones are designed to be expendable and are often deployed in high-risk environments due to their low cost and lack of onboard pilots.The scale of US operations may contribute to losses. Analysts claimed that the number of sorties flown in the initial phase of the war was greater than those flown during the beginning of the Gulf War. “The difference may be a much higher rate of effort,” Peter Layton said as quoted by Bloomberg.Despite early efforts to neutralize Iran’s air defenses, achieving complete air superiority has proven difficult. A US F-35 fighter jet was recently forced to make an emergency landing at a regional airport after being hit by Iranian fire, although the pilot survived, CNN reported, quoting a CENTCOM official.US military officials acknowledge that only “localized air superiority” has been established over parts of Iranian airspace, highlighting ongoing operational challenges. The continued presence of active air defenses is also complicating efforts to secure key routes such as the Strait of Hormuz.Analysts say accidents are not uncommon during high-intensity operations. Justin Bronk said, “Periodic accidents like the tragic mid-air collision with the KC-135 are an unfortunate possibility in large, high-speed, high-pressure combat missions.”As the war enters its third week, Iran has maintained a steady pace of regional attacks, including attacks on energy infrastructure in Qatar and Saudi Arabia in retaliation for attacks on its South Pars gas field.