WASHINGTONPOST (Tara Copp, Noah Robertson) - U.S. military has lost roughly 25% of its Reaper drones as Iran war depletes arsenal
The aircraft, which cost up to $50 million each, have seen heavy use around the Strait of Hormuz — but they are relatively easy targets for Iran and its proxies.
AI:The Pentagon is facing a massive depletion in combat readiness after losing approximately 25% of its Reaper drone fleet during the escalating conflict with Iran. These $50 million assets, intended to provide precision dominance, have proven to be soft targets against Iranian countermeasures and proxy tactics, particularly around the high-tension waters of the Strait of Hormuz. This significant loss of high-tech hardware highlights a critical vulnerability in current unmanned aerial doctrine when facing sophisticated near-peer adversaries.Open