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Largest Air Force in the World Lost 42 Aircraft in 40-Day Iran War

Congress report reveals USD 2.6 billion in losses, including the first-ever combat damage to an F-35 stealth fighter jet.

By Kevin Derby

https://aviationa2z.com/index.php/2026/ ... -iran-war/

May 24, 2026


Photo: USAF

WASHINGTON- The United States Air Force (USAF) https://aviationa2z.com/?s=Air+Force lost as many as 42 aircraft during its 40-day military campaign against Iran, according to a new US Congress report. The losses included fighter jets, aerial refueling tankers, helicopters, and uncrewed drones, with several destroyed on the ground at Prince Sultan Air Base near Riyadh (RUH) in Saudi Arabia.

An F-35A Lightning II stealth jet sustained damage over Iranian airspace before making an emergency landing, while combat losses occurred near Isfahan (IFN), Shiraz (SYZ), and Bushehr (BUZ). The total cost of the lost aircraft is estimated at over USD 2.6 billion.


Photo: Airman 1st Class Alexander Cook, Wikimedia

Breakdown of USAF Aircraft Losses During Operation Epic Fury

The US Congress report lists the full inventory of aircraft lost by the USAF during the 40-day conflict. The losses span fixed-wing combat aircraft, support platforms, rotary-wing assets, and unmanned systems.

The fighter jet losses include four F-15E Strike Eagles, one F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter, https://aviationa2z.com/?s=F-35 and one A-10 Thunderbolt II close air support aircraft. Support aircraft losses include seven KC-135 Stratotanker refueling planes, one E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft, and two MC-130J Commando II special operations aircraft.

The rotary-wing loss involved one HH-60W Jolly Green II combat search-and-rescue helicopter. Uncrewed aircraft losses were the highest, comprising 24 MQ-9 Reaper medium-altitude long-endurance drones and one MQ-4C Triton high-altitude long-endurance drone.

According to defense analyst Patricia Marins, Iran studied the flight patterns of American fighter jets throughout the war and adjusted its tactical deployment accordingly.

By the fifth week of the conflict, the USAF’s standard entry and exit points, operational altitudes, aerial refueling schedules, and electronic jamming patterns had become predictable, allowing Tehran to score multiple shoot-downs of US fighter jets during the final phase.


Photo: USAF

Aircraft Destroyed on the Ground at Prince Sultan Air Base

Iran conducted two notable strikes on Prince Sultan Air Base (PSAB) in Saudi Arabia that resulted in the loss of six USAF aircraft on the tarmac.

The first strike, reported on March 14, damaged five KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft during an Iranian missile and drone attack. The second strike, conducted on March 28, damaged one E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft while it was parked at the same base.

Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) accounts indicate that on March 27, Iran fired approximately six ballistic missiles supplemented by nearly 30 drones. The ballistic missiles possibly included models such as Fateh-313, Qiam, Emad, Sejjil, or Khorramshahr variants, while the drones likely comprised Shahed-series UAVs.

The precision of the Iranian strikes suggests that Tehran received external intelligence support. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy https://aviationa2z.com/?s=Ukraine publicly stated that Russian satellites imaged Prince Sultan Air Base on March 20, 23, and 25, and shared the imagery with Iran.

The Financial Times also reported that Iran used a Chinese-built spy satellite to image the base around March 13 to 15 for pre-strike targeting and post-strike damage assessment.


Photo: By Tomás Del Coro from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA – 89-0471 McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle, CC BY-SA 2.0

Friendly Fire and Operational Losses

Several USAF aircraft were lost in non-combat circumstances during the war. On March 2, US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that three F-15E Strike Eagles https://aviationa2z.com/?s=F-15 were shot down by friendly fire over Kuwait, near Kuwait City (KWI). All six aircrew ejected safely and were recovered.

On March 12, CENTCOM reported that two KC-135 Stratotankers were involved in an incident over friendly airspace. One aircraft crashed in Iraq, resulting in the deaths of all six aircrew, while the second made an emergency landing at an undisclosed regional base.

On April 5, US forces self-destroyed two MC-130J Commando II special operations aircraft after they became immobilized in Iran while supporting search-and-rescue operations for a downed F-15E pilot. An MQ-4C Triton high-altitude long-endurance drone crashed in a separate mishap on April 14.


Photo: USAF

How Iran Shot Down 24 MQ-9 Reaper Drones

The MQ-9 Reaper losses make up the largest share of USAF aircraft lost during the war. Reported by EurAsian Times and other aviation defense outlets, the high Reaper attrition rate underscored the drone’s vulnerability in contested airspace against a state-level adversary like Iran. https://aviationa2z.com/?s=Iran

The MQ-9 is a propeller-driven, medium-altitude long-endurance drone optimized for permissive environments such as counterterrorism operations over Iraq and Afghanistan, where minimal air defenses are present.

Iran’s layered air defense network, which includes legacy Soviet SA-2 and S-300PMU-2 systems alongside indigenous Bavar-373, Tor-M1, and Pantsir short-range systems, proved highly effective against the slow-moving drones.

Most Reaper losses clustered around well-defended Iranian cities such as Isfahan, Shiraz, Qeshm Island (GSM), and Bushehr, as well as the Strait of Hormuz.

Defense writer Harrison Kass, writing for National Interest, noted that the Reaper operates at low subsonic speeds of approximately 300 miles per hour, has a large radar signature, and follows predictable loitering patterns, all of which make it an easy target for surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems.

Electronic warfare also played a role in some losses. Disruption of GPS signals, datalinks, or communications can force drones into predictable flight paths, making them easier targets for Iranian air defense units.


Photo: Christopher Ebdon | Flickr

F-15E Strike Eagle and A-10 Thunderbolt Shot Down

Iran shot down a USAF F-15E Strike Eagle on April 3 during combat operations over Iranian airspace. Iranian state media claimed the aircraft was downed by a mobile medium-range SAM such as the Third Khordad (Sevvom Khordad) system. However, US officials and analysts suggested the hit was likely a lucky strike by a man-portable air defense system (MANPADS), possibly an Iranian copy of the Russian 9K38 Igla heat-seeking missile, rather than a sophisticated radar-guided engagement.

Analysts noted that the F-15E was possibly flying at low altitude at the time, making it vulnerable to infrared-guided short-range missiles. Both aircrew were safely recovered during separate search-and-rescue operations.

On the same day, a USAF A-10 Thunderbolt II close air support aircraft was shot down near the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf during the search-and-rescue mission for the downed F-15E pilot. The A-10 was likely flying at low altitude to provide support to ground forces and could have been hit either by a short or medium-range SAM or a shoulder-fired MANPADS.

An HH-60W Jolly Green II combat search-and-rescue helicopter was also lost during the same operation, sustaining damage from small-arms fire from Iranian ground forces.


Photo: Airman 1st Class Dominic Tyler 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs. | Wikimedia Commons

How Iran Targeted the F-35A Stealth Fighter

The biggest shock for the USAF https://aviationa2z.com/?s=USAF came on March 19, when Iran successfully damaged an F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter over Iranian airspace. The aircraft sustained significant damage but managed to make an emergency landing at a US military base in the region. The incident marked the first time a fifth-generation stealth fighter was hit in combat.

According to media reports and OSINT analysts, Iran targeted the F-35 with a hybrid missile-drone system known as Product 358, also called the SA-67.

The weapon is an Iranian-developed loitering surface-to-air munition designed primarily as a low-cost counter to unmanned aerial vehicles, helicopters, and slow- or low-flying aerial threats.

The Product 358 is launched by a solid-fuel rocket booster, which separates after burnout. The missile then enters its cruise or loitering phase, powered by a small turbojet engine, and patrols designated airspace while autonomously searching for targets.

It is equipped with an infrared and electro-optical seeker for terminal homing, which means it emits no radar signals and remains undetected by radar warning receivers.

Dr. Can Kasapoglu, Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute, described the Product 358 loitering munition as a “natural culprit” for the F-35 hit, highlighting its passive infrared seeker that locks onto engine heat at short range without emitting radar signals. Former Indian Air Force fighter pilot Vijainder K Thakur stated that the F-35 likely did not recognize the drone-missile hybrid as a threat.

The successful targeting of the F-35 carries global implications, given that the fighter is operated or ordered by 19 countries worldwide.


Photo: United States Armed Forces

Bottom Line

The 40-day war with Iran imposed a substantial cost on the USAF, with total aircraft losses exceeding USD 2.6 billion.

Of the 42 aircraft lost, five were destroyed in accidents and friendly fire incidents, six were lost on the ground in Iranian missile and drone attacks, two were self-destroyed by US forces, and the remaining 29 were hit by Iranian missiles, drones, https://aviationa2z.com/?s=Drones or small-arms fire during aerial operations.

The campaign demonstrated Iran’s mastery of asymmetric warfare. Despite losing significant portions of its air defense network during the earlier 12-day Israel-Iran conflict in June 2025 and the opening day of the US-led campaign on February 28, Tehran managed to inflict serious losses on the USAF using a combination of MANPADS, Soviet-era legacy systems, and indigenous platforms like the Bavar-373 and Product 358.

The Iranian success in detecting and engaging an F-35 stealth fighter has triggered global concern, particularly among the 19 nations operating or ordering the type.

The findings of the Congress report are expected to shape future USAF tactics, drone employment doctrine, and air defense suppression strategies for any future high-intensity conflict against a peer or near-peer adversary.


Kevin Derby is a seasoned US-based journalist with a passion for uncovering the truth and telling compelling stories. With over a decade of experience in the field, Kevin has covered a wide range of topics from breaking news and human-interest stories and in-depth investigative reports. His dedication to journalistic integrity and his keen eye for detail have earned him a reputation as a trusted voice in the media.