A Congressional Budget Office report reveals that at least 81 U.S. military aircraft, valued between $1.9 billion and $3.3 billion, have been lost or damaged in the ongoing conflict against Iran since February 28. The report details losses including 12 F-15E Strike Eagles, one F-35A Lightning II, seven KC-135 Stratotankers, and 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones. Analysts highlight how low-cost Iranian drones have inflicted significant damage on U.S. military assets, underscoring the changing dynamics of modern warfare.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
At least 81 United States military aircraft, including fighter jets and drones, have been lost or damaged during Operation Epic Fury, the code name for Washington’s military campaign against Iran launched earlier this year.
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aircraft → include → Iran
The statistic comes as part of a report released on Monday by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), a nonpartisan government agency that provides budget-related research to the legislature.
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that → come → legislature
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prices → surge → fears
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salaries → soar → war
It estimated that, as of August 1, the cost of the American aircraft losses during the US-Israeli war against Iran was between $1.9bn and $3.3bn.
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cost → estimate → Iran
The report this week highlights the growing price tag for the war, which began on February 28.
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which → highlight → February
A lasting ceasefire has remained out of reach as the conflict continues into its eighth month.
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conflict → last → month
“The asymmetries of warfare show that even small countries with small militaries can inflict damage on the world’s best militaries,” said Harlan Ullman, a former naval officer and chairman of the Killowen Group, a government advisory firm.
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Ullman → show → Group
He told Al Jazeera that Iran has managed to achieve a degree of success in damaging US military hardware and bases in the Middle East.
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Iran → tell → East
“Iran has plenty of US targets available, and you can imagine what a small drone can do to a major military asset.
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drone → have → asset
We have seen examples of that in the Gulf countries during the conflict,” Ullman explained.
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Ullman → see → conflict
Monday’s report listed 12 F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets, one F-35A Lightning II jet and seven KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refuelling aircraft among those affected.
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report → list → those
Forty-five of the 81 aircraft identified in the report were MQ-9 Reaper drones.
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five → identify → report
Experts like Ullman trace some of the US vulnerabilities to the changing nature of modern warfare, which is increasingly reliant on low-cost drones that are widely available.
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that → trace → drones
Many have pointed to Russia’s war against Ukraine as an example of how a smaller military like Kyiv’s can keep a larger adversary at bay through drone warfare.
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military → point → warfare
Rumours of a potential drone attack on Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford — a British base that has hosted US assets during the Iran war — also resulted in the sudden departure of a dozen US aircraft on Sunday.
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that → host → Sunday
Ullman pointed to those instances as examples of how the threat of drone attacks has been effective in putting larger militaries on the defensive.
“We have seen the US had to relocate its B-1 bombers from the UK fearing Iranian attacks, and we have seen how the Ukrainian Operation Spiderweb, where small drones were launched from inside Russia, targeted and destroyed Russian military assets,” Ullman said.
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Ullman → point → assets
The rising costs associated with the war against Iran have also placed political pressure on the administration of US President Donald Trump.
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costs → rise → Trump
Earlier this year, his administration requested a record $1.5 trillion in defence spending for fiscal year 2027, citing the demands of the war.
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administration → request → war
But the soaring price tag has sparked scepticism in Congress, particularly from Democrats.
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tag → soar → Democrats
Last month, 45 Senate Democrats and one independent wrote an open letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth demanding transparent accounting of the war’s costs.
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Democrats → write → costs
They argued that a “detailed breakdown” of the costs was necessary before Congress considers further supplemental funding.
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Congress → argue → funding
“American taxpayers have already paid an extra $100 billion out of their pockets for higher gas and diesel prices alone and at least another $60 billion in higher costs for things like groceries, mortgages, and plane tickets as a result of the war,” the senators wrote.
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senators → pay → war
“Now you are asking that they pay again to fund a war of choice that Congress never authorized and the President launched with no strategic plan.”
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President → ask → plan
In a separate report issued in September, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the war with Iran has cost roughly $38bn, as of August 1.
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war → issue → August
That amount reflects the costs of replacing expended munitions and equipment lost in battle, as well as increased fuel costs and other operations.
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amount → reflect → battle
“An additional month of conflict would cost $2 billion,” the office said.
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office → cost → billion
However, it added that, “if the intensity of the conflict increased to roughly the level experienced in July, the cost per month would increase to $3 billion”.
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cost → add → billion
The Pentagon said it had “nothing further to provide” in a response to Al Jazeera’s query about whether the losses reported this week were expected and how they would impact the department’s budget.
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they → say → budget
Polls indicate the war is widely unpopular among US voters, and analysts have speculated about whether reports of rising costs may have an impact on the US midterm elections, which will decide whether Trump’s Republican Party will retain control of Congress.
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Party → indicate → Congress
But Ullman is sceptical that reports like Monday’s will be a determining factor in the outcome of the vote.
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reports → determine → vote
“I do not think that report will influence the course of the upcoming midterm elections, as many Americans, even those who oppose the war, would see it as expected damage in a military operation,” Ullman said.
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Ullman → think → operation
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