According to figures attributed to the U.S. Congressional Research Service, Washington has paid a heavy price in the air since the outbreak of the war against Iran:
81 aerial platforms lost, including:
▪️ 12 F-15 fighter jets
▪️ 1 F-35 fighter jet
▪️ 2 A-10 attack aircraft
▪️ 7 KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft
▪️ 1 E-3 Sentry airborne early warning aircraft
▪️ 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones
▪️ 1 MQ-4C Triton drone
▪️ 3 MQ-1 drones
▪️ Apache, HH-60W and AH-6 helicopters, as well as one naval helicopter
This toll can no longer be described as a series of isolated tactical losses. It represents a direct attrition of U.S. strike, reconnaissance, aerial refueling and airborne early-warning capabilities.
In clearer terms:
The war is no longer measured only by what Washington is striking inside Iran, but also by what the United States itself is losing in the skies.
And the most serious issue is not the number 81 by itself, but the type of platforms being lost — because some of them form the backbone of long-range U.S. air operations.