Congressional report exposes massive aircraft losses as war drags on under Hegseth

More than 80 U.S. military aircraft have been destroyed or damaged in the war with Iran, which is now in its eighth month, according to a new report from the Congressional Research Service.

That indicates that military losses under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are reaching new heights which have been kept hidden from the public.

"At least 81 US military aircraft have been lost or damaged during operations against Iran since late February," the nonpartisan CRS, which provides information to Congress, wrote in a report updated Oct. 5. That's up from 42 in its May tally. The count includes drones and helicopters, and the agency cautioned that the figure "could change because of classification, continuing combat operations and attrition, while some damaged aircraft may have since returned to service." It drew on Defense Department and CENTCOM information as well as news reporting.

The Daily Beast, which highlighted the findings, put the cost at more than $3 billion. The Congressional Budget Office previously estimated that replacing all equipment lost through Aug. 1 would cost "between $1.9 billion and $3.3 billion."

Among the losses, 12 F-15E Strike Eagles have been "hit or lost," including one downed over Iran and three destroyed by friendly fire over Kuwait. An F-35A stealth fighter was also damaged. The list includes seven KC-135 refueling tankers damaged or lost, along with a $240 million MQ-4C Triton drone that, according to the report, "crashed in a mishap." Some of the losses have not been widely reported.

The war, which President Donald Trump had suggested would last about two weeks, has cost Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's Pentagon tens of billions of dollars and the lives of at least 18 U.S. service members, according to the Daily Beast.