# US Lost 45 Reaper Drones During Iran Conflict 2026-08-15T02:57:56+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet The US military lost at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper surveillance and strike drones during the conflict with Iran, The Washington Post reported, citing unnamed officials. The losses equal roughly 25 per cent of the fleet and could cost more than US$1.3 billion. Not all the drones were shot down. A US official told the newspaper that some crashed after communication link failures. The US had about 185 Reapers before the conflict, including 165 Air Force and 20 Marine Corps aircraft. A Pentagon official said in May that roughly 135 remained and expressed concern over the losses. India signed an agreement in 2024 to buy 31 Reapers from the US, with deliveries expected to begin in 2029. ## Coverage - rediff.com Tags: India, Iran, MQ-9 Reaper, United States Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/us-lost-45-reaper-drones-during-iran-conflict/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/us-lost-45-reaper-drones-during-iran-conflict/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.