[U.S. Military Operation Against Iran Resulted in Loss of 39 Aircraft Over 39 Days]
According to the U.S. War Zone website (TWZ), reporting on April 10, 2026: As the prolonged U.S. military campaign against Iran—lasting over five weeks—comes to a close, TWZ now has the clearest picture yet of aircraft losses during Operation "Epic Wrath." Based on internal tracking data from TWZ (The War Zone), after more than 13,000 mission sorties, the U.S. military suffered a total of 39 aircraft destroyed during this 39-day operation, with an additional 10 aircraft sustaining varying degrees of damage. The actual figures may be even higher, as TWZ has confirmed losses only through open-source information.
The U.S. drone fleet suffered the heaviest losses, accounting for over 60% of all combat losses. According to Jim LaPorta and the latest report from CBS, as many as 24 MQ-9 Reaper drones operated by the U.S. Air Force were destroyed. Five fighter jets were shot down mid-flight, including four F-15E Strike Eagles and one A-10 Thunderbolt II. An F-35A was struck over Iranian airspace—the first known instance of a fifth-generation fighter being damaged in combat—but the pilot safely executed an emergency landing. Twenty percent of the losses were attributed to friendly fire, including three F-15E Strike Eagles shot down over Kuwait, or deliberate destruction during combat search-and-rescue missions in Iranian territory to prevent equipment from falling into enemy hands. However, some losses had far more significant consequences—for example, the highly expensive E-3G Sentry airborne warning and control aircraft was completely destroyed.
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Original source: toutiao.com/article/1862121078929419/
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