The losses: The US has lost at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones (roughly 25% of its fleet, costing over $1.3bn) during the Iran war, with the slow, low-flying aircraft proving easy targets near the Strait of Hormuz for Iran and its regional proxies.
The wider drain: The Reaper losses join over 850 Tomahawks and 1,000+ Patriot/THAAD missiles fired in the campaign's first month, constraining Trump's military options and forcing commanders to hold missiles in reserve unless an incoming threat seems likely to cause harm.
The replenishment gap: An AEI report found THAAD interceptors alone would take roughly 27 years to restock at current production rates given a 96-per-year cap against Pentagon demand for 2,600 over five years, even as the administration seeks a $67bn supplemental budget.
