Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
The skies around the Strait of Hormuz have become a costly operating zone for the US military. At least 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones have been lost during the war with Iran, according to The Washington Post. It amounts to roughly a quarter of the US fleet, which has been heavily used around the vital shipping route.
The Reaper is used for surveillance and targeted strikes. Each aircraft can cost between $30 million and $50 million, depending on its sensors and weapons. The value of the lost Reapers could exceed $1.3 billion.
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According to the report, all of the aircraft were shot down. Some crashed after their operators lost communications links with the drones, the official said. The Reapers have been heavily deployed around the Strait of Hormuz. However, their relatively slow speed and low-altitude operations can leave them vulnerable to Iran‘s military and its regional proxies in Yemen and Iraq.
Before the conflict, the US military had about 185 Reapers, according to public budget data and military officials. The Air Force operated 165 of them, while the Marine Corps had 20.
None of the Marine Corps’ Reapers have been lost, WaPo reported.
US DRONE FLEET UNDER PRESSURE
The Reaper losses add to mounting pressure on US weapons stocks, with the military already reportedly dealing with limited supplies of Patriot missile interceptors. In May, Lieutenant General David Tabor told the Senate that the number of remaining Air Force Reapers had fallen to about 135.
Tabor said he was “concerned” about the losses and that the Air Force was examining ways to replenish the fleet quickly. The Reaper is also part of a more extensive US weapons stockpile facing pressure from the Iran war and years of military support for Ukraine.
These shortages have complicated President Donald Trump’s military options as tensions with Iran remain high. The Pentagon has repeatedly rejected claims that US weapons stocks are running low.
BILLIONS NEEDED TO REPLENISH STOCKPILES
The Trump administration is seeking congressional approval for a $67 billion supplemental package to cover the costs of the Iran war and replenish military supplies. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told senators in July that the Pentagon could be forced to reduce military training without additional funding.
He estimated that the Iran conflict would cost $37.5 billion through the end of September.
Even with new funding, rebuilding depleted weapons stocks could take years. The Pentagon is already phasing out the General Atomics-produced Reaper and plans to replace it with cheaper armed surveillance drones capable of operating in swarms.
With the Iran conflict showing no clear signs of ending, the Reaper losses add another challenge for a US military already under pressure to replenish its depleted arsenal.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
