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The American “Bloomberg” agency reported, citing an informed source, that Iran has been able to destroy more than 24 American “MQ-9 Reaper” drones since the beginning of the last war, in unprecedented losses estimated at approximately one billion dollars.
The report spoke of significant losses suffered by this air force, as the destroyed aircraft represented about 20% of the total stock of this type of unmanned aircraft at the US Department of War before the outbreak of confrontations.
The agency’s report indicated that a number of drones were shot down while carrying out aerial missions by Iranian fire, while others were destroyed on the ground as a result of missile attacks or incidents related to direct military operations between the two parties.
The MQ-9 Reaper aircraft are among the most prominent advanced attack and reconnaissance drones used by the United States in surveillance and targeting operations. Because of its advanced technological capabilities, compensating for its loss currently represents a very expensive and complex process, amid great difficulty facing Washington in producing quick replacements for it.
The report revealed that the losses of “Reaper” aircraft come as part of the toll of larger aircraft losses incurred by the United States during the war, as reports issued by the US Congress indicate that Washington lost or damaged about 42 aircraft in total, worth approximately $2.6 billion, and this includes fighters, refueling aircraft, and reconnaissance platforms, in addition to “Reaper” aircraft, which constitutes a major financial and operational setback for the United States.
