May. 19 at 7:58 PM
A Congressional Research Service report dated May 13, 2026, formally documents the loss or significant damage of 42 US military aircraft during Operation Epic Fury....and the bill comes to
$2.6B
but...the replacement costs for the 42 aircraft lost could exceed
$7B according to a recent defense and intelligence report prepared for Congress
4 x F-15E Strike Eagles destroyed
1 x F-35A damaged by Iranian ground fire
1 x A-10 destroyed
7 x KC-135 Stratotankers (2 destroyed, 5 damaged)
1 x E-3 Sentry AWACS destroyed (no immediate replacement available)
2 x MC-130J destroyed
1 x HH-60W helicopter damaged by small arms fire
24 x MQ-9 Reapers destroyed
1 x MQ-4C Triton destroyed
Note: The report itself acknowledges that the numbers may not be final.
“The number of aircraft damaged or destroyed may remain subject to revision due to multiple factors, which may include classification, ongoing combat activity & attribution"
During a May 12, 2026, hearing, Acting Pentagon Comptroller Jules W. Hurst III testified that the dept’s cost est for military operations in Iran has increased to
$29B
Pentagon’s refusal to confirm total loss figures in an open congressional session, combined w/ the CRS report’s documentation of 42 aircraft at a total cost of
$2.6B, leaves a significant gap b/n what the public record shows & what the Defense Dept has formally acknowledged
$BA $RTX $LMT $GD $ITA