Heavy Toll for the US in Iran War: Billions in Losses

The United States has suffered significant losses in high-tech military equipment, worth billions of dollars, since the start of attacks on targets in Iran. According to Elaine McCusker, a former Pentagon budget official, losses are estimated between $1.4 and $2.9 billion in the first three weeks.

Losses include fighter jets, flying tankers, and drones. Specifically, a Kuwaiti F/A-18 Hornet fighter accidentally shot down three US F-15E Strike Eagles on March 1. On March 19, an F-35A Lightning II made a forced landing.

Six crew members died in a KC-135 Stratotanker crash on March 12, while five other KC-135s were damaged in an Iranian attack. More than a dozen MQ-9 Reaper drones have been lost, and an AN/TPY-2 radar in Jordan was also damaged.

The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier is in Souda Bay, Greece for repairs after a fire.