US Lost 45 MQ-9 Reaper Drones Worth $1.3bn Amid Iran Tensions, Report Says

The United States military has lost 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones during its ongoing conflict with Iran, according to a new report. These losses account for roughly 25% of the entire Reaper fleet, representing a financial blow exceeding $1.3 billion. The drones had been extensively deployed in the Strait of Hormuz region, where they proved vulnerable to enemy action. The scale of attrition underscores both the operational risks of deploying unmanned aerial vehicles in contested airspace and the significant cost to US defense assets.