US military aircraft losses mount as Iran war approaches fourth week

At least 16 US military aircraft have been lost since the start of the war with Iran, including 10 Reaper strike drones hit by enemy fire and a half-dozen other planes badly damaged in attacks or accidents.The most serious losses were because of accidents: three US F-15s downed by friendly fire in Kuwait, and a KC-135 tanker destroyed during a refuelling operation. All six crew members on the tanker were killed in the accident.Five other KC-135s were reportedly damaged by an Iranian missile strike while parked at an airfield in Saudi Arabia.So far only the uncrewed Reapers have been brought down by Iranian defences, with at least nine being destroyed in the air, according to a person familiar with the matter. One was hit at an airfield in Jordan by a ballistic missile, people familiar with the matter said.A US F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet crashing in Kuwait on the third day of the war. Photo: UGC via AFPThe other two Reapers were lost to accidents. The drones were meant to be “attritable” - flown in higher-risk areas because they do not carry pilots and were much cheaper to replace than a crewed plane.