27.03.2026 11:30
The attacks by the United States and Israel on thousands of targets across Iran for more than three weeks have resulted in the loss or serious damage of billions of dollars worth of high-tech military equipment. A significant portion of the damage on the ground was caused by Iran's ballistic missiles and drones.
In the first three weeks of the attacks by the US and Israel on Iran, billions of dollars in military losses were incurred, with significant damage to aircraft and unmanned systems.
COST BETWEEN 1.4 AND 2.9 BILLION DOLLARS
Elaine McCusker, who tracked the cost of the war on behalf of the American Enterprise Institute and served as a senior budget official at the Pentagon during the first term of the Trump administration, stated that the compensation for the damage incurred in the first three weeks of the war could be between 1.4 billion and 2.9 billion dollars. The higher cost estimate included damage seen by a radar located at a US airbase in Qatar.
The Pentagon's request to the White House for an additional 200 billion dollars for Iran included some weapons and platforms planned for renewal.
HEAVY LOSSES IN AIRCRAFT
On March 1, a Kuwaiti F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet accidentally shot down three US F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft. Six crew members were rescued with ejection seats. The cost of a new model F-15 is known to be around 100 million dollars.
On March 19, a US F-35A Lightning II fighter jet made an emergency landing, and the pilot's condition was reported to be stable. Iran claimed to have fired at the aircraft. The cost of an F-35A is approximately 82.5 million dollars.
On March 12, six crew members lost their lives due to a collision between two KC-135 aircraft over Iraq. Additionally, five more KC-135 aircraft were damaged in the Iranian missile attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
Instead of the KC-135s, which Boeing has not produced since the 1960s, KC-46 Pegasus tanker aircraft, with a unit cost of approximately 165 million dollars, are planned to be used.
LOSSES IN UAV AND NAVAL POWER
Since the beginning of the war, more than a dozen MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles have been lost. At least eight of these vehicles were shot down by Iranian missiles, three were destroyed on the ground, and one was accidentally hit by a Gulf country. Some Reapers were also reported to have been damaged.
While the production of MQ-9s, each valued at least 16 million dollars, has been halted, the MQ-9B SkyGuardian model is being produced at a cost of approximately 30 million dollars for the US and its allies.
On the other hand, although it did not suffer direct damage in the conflict, a fire broke out on March 12 aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier. The fire, which started in the main laundry section, spread to the crew's living quarters. The aircraft carrier was towed to a port in Souda Bay, Greece, for repair work.