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Pentagon Has Lost Roughly 25% of Its Reaper Drones

August 13, 2026 · 3:46 pm ET · Leave a Comment

“The U.S. military has lost at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones during the war with Iran, or roughly 25 percent of its fleet,” the Washington Post reports.

“The Reaper is used to conduct surveillance and targeted strikes, and it can cost between $30 million and $50 million depending on the type of sensors and weapons it carries, according to the Air Force. The potential taxpayer cost of recent losses is over $1.3 billion for that weapon system alone.”

Foreign Affairs, National Security

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