PNN – Bloomberg reports that Iran has destroyed a significant portion of the US’s advanced drone fleet since the start of the war.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, a conservative analysis from Bloomberg shows that Iran has managed to inflict at least $1 billion in damage on the US by shooting down dozens of Reaper drones. Some of the most important points in the report are as follows:
At least 24 US Reaper drones destroyed
A Bloomberg report claims that Iran has destroyed at least 24 and possibly as many as 30 US MQ-9 Reaper drones so far. This includes drones that were shot down directly as well as those that were rendered inoperable after being damaged.
Damages of nearly $1 billion
Each Reaper drone is worth about $30 million, and the total damage to the US fleet is estimated at nearly $1 billion; a figure that only relates to this system and does not include other US equipment lost.
20% of the US fleet destroyed
Bloomberg emphasized that the destroyed drones were equivalent to about 20% of the entire US Reaper drone inventory before the war began; therefore, Iran has dealt a heavy blow to one of the US military’s most important tools for reconnaissance and remote attack.
Diversity in Iran’s Defensive and Strike Tactics
Contrary to Washington’s assumptions, these strike drones were not simply hunted down in the sky; rather, according to leaked statistics, part of this fleet was destroyed during Iran’s precision missile attacks on bases on the ground, and another part suffered accidents during operations.
An expensive and difficult drone to replace
The MQ-9 Reaper is one of the main American combat drones, equipped with advanced sensors, powerful cameras and weapons such as Hellfire missiles and guided bombs. Bloomberg noted that production of this drone for the US military has stopped and it is not possible to quickly replace them.
Part of a larger list of U.S. air losses
Bloomberg also cited other U.S. air losses, including the downing of an F-15E, an A-10, several other fighters, an E-3 AWACS aircraft, KC-135 tankers and MC-130J transport aircraft. Replacing that equipment will also cost billions of dollars.
Iran’s skies remain insecure despite bombings
The repeated claims by Washington and Tel Aviv that Iran’s air defenses have been destroyed do not match the reality on the ground; the inability to intercept anti-aircraft missiles reveals that Iran’s skies remain extremely unsafe for the most advanced Western aircraft, even after a massive wave of attacks.
The Mirage of Remote Warfare
According to this analysis, the idea of waging war remotely and without human cost has become a mirage for the United States. The erosion of irreplaceable strategic assets in the wake of Iranian strikes has pushed the economic and logistical costs of the war to a level that exceeds Washington’s initial projections.
What was not said
The Intercept previously reported that the US Department of War is heavily concealing statistics on military casualties and damage caused by the war against Iran. This report only revealed a portion of the war’s damage.