{"id":1354,"date":"2026-08-15T02:10:52","date_gmt":"2026-08-15T02:10:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/?p=1354"},"modified":"2026-08-15T02:11:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-15T02:11:23","slug":"u-s-has-lost-25-of-its-50-million-each-cost-reaper-drones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/u-s-has-lost-25-of-its-50-million-each-cost-reaper-drones\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. HAS LOST 25% OF ITS $30-$50 MILLION (EACH COST) REAPER DRONES"},"content":{"rendered":"
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U.S. military has lost roughly 25% of its Reaper drones as Iran war depletes arsenal<\/h1>\n

The aircraft, which cost up to $50 million each, have seen heavy use around the Strait of Hormuz \u2014 but they are relatively easy targets for Iran and its proxies.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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A U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone, in December. (Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo\/AFP\/Getty<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The U.S. military has lost at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones during the war with Iran, or roughly 25 percent of its fleet, according to three U.S. officials familiar with the matter.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Reaper <\/b>is <\/b>used to conduct surveillance and targeted strikes, and it can cost between $30 million and $50 million depending on the type of sensors and weapons it carries, according to the Air Force. The potential taxpayer cost of recent losses is over $1.3 billion for that weapon system alone. <\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The aircraft have seen heavy use around the Strait of Hormuz, the vital shipping route that has become a major flash point in the conflict<\/a> \u2014 and a key obstacle to negotiating a lasting peace deal. But the drones fly slowly and often at low altitudes, making them relatively easy targets for Iran\u2019s military and its regional proxies in Yemen and Iraq.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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