U.S. Aircraft Combat Losses In Operation Epic Fury
By Jennifer DiMascio, Joshua Korzilius, and Daniel M. Gettinger Overview On February 28, 2026, the United States, in coordination with
www.eurasiareview.comI don’t have live access to the latest updates right now. Here’s what appears to be circulating recently about Operation Epic Fury and related aircraft losses, based on contemporaneous reporting:
- A number of outlets report that the Congressional Research Service compiled figures indicating tens of US aircraft damaged or lost during Operation Epic Fury, with figures commonly cited around 39–42 aircraft across a 40-day campaign against Iran. The reports note that final tallies can still shift as verification continues and as some assets are repaired or accounted for later.[2][3][4]
- Reported asset types in these accounts include fighter jets (e.g., F-15E, F-35A), tankers (KC-135), airborne early warning (E-3 Sentry), special operations aircraft (MC-130J), helicopters (HH-60W), and unmanned aerial systems (MQ-9 Reaper and MQ-4C Triton).[3]
- Some summaries emphasize the high proportion of losses attributed to drones, underscoring a significant challenge to air power in contested environments, and note that the financial implications (repair and replacement costs) are substantial and continuing to be refined.[7][8][3]
- Coverage from various outlets has framed the numbers within broader discussions of mission costs, procurement implications, and strategic risk in the US-Iran arena, sometimes with emphasis on the potential for escalation and debate over air superiority in modern warfare.[5][7]
If you’d like, I can:
- Compile a concise summary with the most credible figures and the date-range they cover.
- Compare the different tallies (e.g., 39 vs. 42) and list which asset categories are most affected.
- Search for the latest official CRS or DOD statements to confirm the current official count and any updates since May 2026.
Would you like a brief, sourced digest or a side-by-side comparison table of the reported aircraft losses? If you want, I can also place a quick chart illustrating asset types by category using approximate counts.