US Military Loses 45 MQ-9 Reaper Drones in War on Iran

History of the MQ-9 Reaper

The MQ-9 Reaper entered service with the US Air Force in 2007 and was used extensively in Iraq, Afghanistan, and in undeclared US operations across Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, and other regions. The aircraft became closely associated with former President Barack Obama's drone strike program and was long considered nearly untouchable.

That perception shifted in 2017, when Houthi forces in Yemen shot down a Reaper using a Soviet-era anti-air missile. Additional losses followed in subsequent years, and by the time the US and Israel began striking Iran in February, the Reaper was already regarded as obsolete and ineffective against any military with anti-air capabilities.

Wider Weapons Shortages

The Reaper is one of several weapons systems left in short supply by the Iran war. The US has reportedly used more than half of its Patriot anti-air missiles, 80 percent of its THAAD interceptors, and a third of its Tomahawk cruise missiles since February 28.

President Donald Trump has denied that the US is facing a missile shortage, though he has requested $87.6 billion from Congress to cover urgent needs related to the war, including $21 billion allocated for munitions.

Replacement Efforts and Next Steps

General Atomics stopped producing the MQ-9 Reaper in 2020, and the Pentagon is not expected to launch a program to select a successor until later this year. The Senate Armed Services Committee has recommended restarting Reaper production, while Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff David Tabor told a Senate hearing in June that the Pentagon is exploring options to buy back as many MQ-9As as possible from US allies.