A U.S. official, quoted by the newspaper, said that not all Reapers were shot down, some crashed due to a failure of the communication link. File photo for representational purposes only.
| Photo Credit: AP
The U.S. lost at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper surveillance and strike drones during the war with Iran, The Washington Post reported on Thursday (Auggust 13, 2026) quoting unnamed officials.
According to the Post, the number of drones lost constitutes roughly 25% of the U.S. military fleet, potentially costing the taxpayer more than ₹1.3 billion.
A U.S. official, quoted by the newspaper, said that not all Reapers were shot down, some crashed due to a failure of the communication link.
In 2024, India signed an agreement with the U.S. to procure 31 MQ-9 Reaper drones for its armed forces, with deliveries expected to begin in 2029.
The Reaper drones were inducted by the U.S. in 2007 and have been a prominent asset for America’s counterterrorism operations in West Asia and other conflict zones like Afghanistan and Iraq.
There were approximately 185 Reapers in the U.S. military fleet — 165 in the Air Force and 20 in the Marine Corps — before the conflict began, according to public budget data and the services. In May, Lt. Gen. David Tabor, a senior Air Force officer at the Pentagon, told the Senate that the number of remaining drones had fallen to about 135.
At the time, Lt. Gen. Tabor told lawmakers he was “concerned” about the losses and that the Air Force was exploring how to quickly replenish its fleet.
Published – August 14, 2026 01:04 pm IST
