The United States has lost nearly a quarter of its MQ-9 Reaper drones during the war with Iran, TASS reported citing The Washington Post newspaper.
The story says the US lost 45 MQ-9 Reapers, which became an easy target for Iran in the Strait of Hormuz. This version of drones, which fly low and quite slowly, is used for reconnaissance and precision strikes. Their cost can range from $30 million to $50 million, depending on the type of sensors and weapons installed. According to The Washington Post, these drone losses came at a cost of $1.3 billion to US taxpayers. According to WP, not all of the lost drones were shot down, some crashed after their operators lost contact with them.
The US Department of War is gradually decommissioning the MQ-9 Reaper, manufactured by General Atomics, and plans to replace them with a fleet of cheaper strike reconnaissance drones capable of attacking targets in a swarm.
The MQ-9 Reaper joined the growing list of US weapons whose stocks were depleted in the Iran war and due to long-term military support provided to Ukraine. Earlier, WP reported that the lack of resources curbed Washington's military capabilities in the conflict with Iran. The Pentagon denied reports that its weapons arsenals are dwindling. At the same time, the Washington administration asked Congress to allocate $67 billion to compensate for the costs incurred in the war with Iran and to replenish stocks.
