Official Report On Aircraft Losses In Iran War - Congressional Research Service

U.S. Aircraft Combat Losses in Operation Epic Fury: 

Updated May 13, 2026

Overview

On February 28, 2026, the United States, in coordination with Israel, initiated military operations against Iran under the designation Operation Epic Fury (OEF). The conflict has involved air, maritime, and missile combat engagements across the Middle East. The pace of combat activity declined amid a cease fire in April. 

Within weeks, some strikes resumed, and conditions remain fluid. The Department of Defense (DOD, which is “using a secondary Department of War designation,” under Executive Order 14347 dated September 5, 2025) has not published a comprehensive assessment of combat losses in OEF. During a May 12, 2026, hearing, Acting Pentagon Comptroller Jules W. Hurst III testified that the department’s cost estimate for military operations in Iran has increased to $29 billion. “A lot of that increase comes from having a refined estimate on repair or replacement costs for equipment,” he said. 

Listed here are 42 fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft, including uncrewed aircraft (i.e., drones), reportedly lost or damaged in OEF, according to news reports and statements by DOD and U.S. Central Command(CENTCOM). The number of aircraft damaged or destroyed may remain subject to revision due to multiple factors, which may include classification, ongoing combat activity, and attribution.

Reports of OEF Aircraft Losses and Damage 

Four F-15E Strike Eagle fighter aircraft

• On March 2, 2026, CENTCOM reported that three F-15Es were shot down and destroyed by friendly fire over Kuwait; all six aircrew ejected safely and were recovered.

• On April 5, 2026, CENTCOM reported that one F-15E was shot down and destroyed during combat operations over Iran; both aircrew were safely recovered during separate search-and-rescue operations.

One F-35A Lightning II fighter aircraft 

• A March 19, 2026, news article reported that Iranian ground fire damaged one F-35A during combat operations over Iran. One A-10 Thunderbolt II ground-attack aircraft

• In an April 6, 2026, news conference, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force General Dan Caine stated that on April 3, enemy fire struck one A-10 that subsequently crashed and was destroyed during search-and-rescue operations; the pilot ejected and was recovered safely. Seven KC-135 Strato tanker aerial refueling aircraft

• On March 12, 2026, CENTCOM reported that two KC-135s were involved in an incident over friendly airspace; one aircraft crashed in Iraq, resulting in the deaths of all six aircrew. The second KC-135 made an emergency landing at an undisclosed location in the region where U.S. forces are hosted.

• A March 14, 2026, news article reported that five KC-135s were damaged while on the ground at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, during an Iranian missile and drone attack. One E-3 Sentry airborne early warning-and-control system aircraft (AWACS)

• A March 28, 2026, news article reported that one E-3 was struck and damaged while on the ground at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, during an Iranian missile and drone attack. A May 7, 2026, news article reported that the E-3 had been parked on an unprotected taxiway. Two MC-130J Commando II special operations aircraft

• An April 5, 2026, news article reported that two MC-130Js supporting search-and-rescue operations for a downed F-15E were intentionally destroyed on the ground in Iran after becoming unable to depart; all aircrew were safely evacuated. One HH-60W Jolly Green II combat search-and-rescue helicopter

• On April 6, 2026, General Caine said in a press conference that on April 5, one HH-60Wsustained damage from small-arms fire supporting search-and-rescue operations for a downed F-15E in Iran. Twenty-four MQ-9 Reaper medium-altitude long-endurance uncrewed aircraft

• An April 9, 2026, news article reported that the U.S. military had lost 24 MQ-9 Reapers since the start of U.S. military operations against Iran. One MQ-4C Triton high-altitude long-endurance uncrewed aircraft

• An April 14, 2026, news article citing a U.S. Navy document reported that one MQ-4Ccrashed in a mishap. 

 

Potential Issues for Congress  

These reported incidents may raise several considerations for congressional oversight:

• Information available to Congress. It is unclear whether DOD has provided Congress an accounting of the aircraft lost in OEF. Congress may assess whether or not it has sufficient information and time to evaluate the potential effects of aircraft losses in U.S.

• military operations and potential DOD plans or programs to develop or procure replacements.

• Budgetary impacts. Aircraft losses could generate unplanned costs for their replacement, repair, or sustainment. Congress may consider whether or not to approve, reject, or modify potential reprogramming actions or supplemental appropriations or to make adjustments to planned procurement and readiness accounts.

• Force sufficiency. It is unclear how the extent of aircraft losses may affect DOD’s ability to meet current operational requirements, maintain global force posture, and respond to unforeseen contingencies. Congress may assess whether losses in certain high-demand platforms that are aging and limited in number, such as the E-3 Sentry, create capability gaps or increase risk in other theaters.

• Industrial base capacity. Congress may assess whether current production lines and supply chains are capable of replacing lost aircraft within time frames needed to meet DOD operational requirements. Congress may seek information about the extent to which competing demands—including foreign military sales or production constraints—may affect DOD’s ability to regenerate capacity.

• Operational risk. Reported losses may provide insights into the survivability of U.S. aircraft in contested environments. Congress may assess whether reported losses reflect changes in the threat environment or in adversary capabilities. Congress may also assess whether any changes to the threat might signal the need to adjust U.S. operational concepts, tactics, techniques, procedures, or basing posture.

Author Information

Jennifer DiMascio Analyst in U.S. Defense Policy

Daniel M. Gettinger Analyst in U.S. Defense Policy

Joshua Korzilius U.S. Air Force Fellow 

Cheryl Ann Harrison Dies At 66

Cheryl Ann Harrison, 66, peacefully went home to be with the Lord on May 16, 2026.

Mrs. Harrison was preceded in death by her parents, Johnny and Barbara Platt, and her brothers, Arthur Platt, Robert Platt, Dennis Platt, and Paul Platt.

She is lovingly survived by her husband of 16 years, Dwayne Harrison. She is also survived by her daughter, Melissa Garcia (Angel), and grandson, Victor. In addition, she is survived by her son, Alan Daum, granddaughter, Alissa, and grandson, Brian. Mrs. Harrison is also survived by her brothers and sisters, John Platt (Tammy), Michael Platt, Lavena Perkinson (Tim), Patty Platt (Brad), and Reese Platt (Lisa), as well as several nieces and nephews.

Cheryl was a cherished member of Bethel Holiness Church in LaBelle, Florida.

Visitation and the funeral service will be held at Bethel Holiness Church, 1153 Cornelia Drive, LaBelle, FL 33935, on May 27, 2026, beginning at 10:00 a.m., with Pastor Howell officiating. Burial will follow at Venus Cemetery.

A Lodge Called Folkestone - The American Hiker Magazine Startup

A Lodge Called Folkestone

The Dream, The Challenge, The People
 by Bob Kranich

(Excerpt 21)

“The Lodge Called Folkestone”. You may wonder why the first half of the book is about my many adventures throughout the USA. Well, this first part explains just why my interests changed from hot rodding cars to backpacking. How the idea of a lodge came about, and just how the lodge came to be in North Carolina and next to the Smoky Mountain National Park, Deep Campground to be exact.

We hiked into Chicago Basin and set up a base camp. We did day hikes around the area, and found old deteriorating log cabins and mining remains. Then after four days we hiked out, caught the train back to Durango, and then drove back to Houston. We had gotten our story, and made some very interesting contacts.

Our second edition of American Hiker was much more professional looking. We had fine articles and photos. We picked up a freelance writer and knowledgeable hiker, Robert Pancoast, who wrote amazing articles. He was with us for the remainder of our issues. We had attracted a full page environmental ad from the Wilderness Society. The most exciting part was that we had sold five paying ads, and two of them were famous equipment manufacturers, The North Face, and Sierra Designs. Because of this, we decided that just as soon as we had the December-January issue out, we would be off to Denver and Boulder, Colorado. There we would visit the equipment manufacturers in those towns, introduce them to the American Hiker magazine, and attempt to sell them ads.

We were actually going to be in Colorado in the month of October. That meant cold and snow. We ran into it. While we were visiting the equipment manufacturers, we made a contact in Boulder, Colorado, with some hikers that were running an “Outward Bound” camp. When we were finished selling ads, we went to the Vail ski area and found them. They had rented a large, but not being used “A” frame ski lodge at the far end of Vail. There were about 15 Outward Bound instructors, and they had two groups out. They would swap leaders, but keep the students out on the trail. Everyone there would cook something whenever they wanted, and crash in their sleeping bags anywhere on the bottom or top floors. There is one strange thing that I remember. This was the time when the book, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, (a seagull that wanted to be different) was popular. All of these hikers were reading it. And we did too!

This ad sales work and research paid off, and for our third issue, we had a total of seventeen ads. Two of these ads were full page, and five were well known companies. We even had the magazine Off Belay advertise.

Our fourth issue turned out well. It should have come out in April-May, but we needed the time to get it all together, and to save up the money for the printing. So we came out in May. I was working and supporting the magazine. We had sixteen paid ads. Our articles and photos were great. The articles spanned the United States, from an article on hiking the northwest high mountains, Big Bend National Park, ski touring in upstate New York, to “Backpacking the Big Cypress” in Florida. Bob Pancoast had another great article on the “Dangers of Backpacking.” The Eastern Region of the U. S. Forest Service let us use one of the finest articles written on wildlife management entitled “The Fairest One of Them All.”

From a publishing standpoint, we were looking good. However, I was running out of money. As I had mentioned earlier, we were never in the black. It was fun doing this, but I had run out of my reserve funds, and couldn’t afford to go on. So American Hiker magazine joined the ranks of statistics. Approximately only one out of every twenty new magazine startups succeed. However, I did one thing that most other new businesses that don’t make it ever do. I refunded every subscriber their money, on a pro-rated basis.

After this project, we were tired! We had each been working our regular jobs, then working after hours and on weekends doing American Hiker. We decided to go on another adventure, take a long break, and visit the Smokies.

From The Author:

This is a new book. It is about the Lodge I built in the Smoky Mountains, near Bryson City, and Deep Creek campground, North Carolina. Having been from Florida, I know that a lot of Floridians love to visit the Smoky Mountains National Park. Therefore hopefully you will enjoy my story of the building of “A Lodge Called Folkestone”.

Diseased Monkeys At Laboratories Causing Concerns

Drug-Resistant Diarrheal Disease Circulating Throughout Monkey Experimentation Industry, Infecting Humans

Washington — PETA today released a new report showing that Shigella, a highly contagious, often drug-resistant pathogen spread through fecal contamination, for which humans and other primates are the only natural hosts, is widespread and often un- or underreported among monkeys in the U.S. experimentation industry. 

 There are more than 100,000 monkeys currently in U.S. laboratories, breeding, and holding facilities including thousands housed in facilities in Southwest Florida in Hendry and Collier counties.

Reps. Greg Steube (R-Fla.-17) and Dina Titus (D-Nev.-01) have introduced a bipartisan bill, the Preventing Risky Importation of Monkeys to Avoid Toxic Exposures (PRIMATE) Act (HR 8471), that would ban the importation of monkeys for use in U.S. laboratories. This would end the introduction and spread of pathogens that accompany monkeys brought to the U.S. In 2025, more than 22,000 primates originating from facilities in Asia and Africa were sent to the U.S.

The findings raise serious public health concerns as infected monkeys are transported among importers, quarantine facilities, breeders, contract laboratories, and universities across the country.

In a letter sent today, PETA urges the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to publicly release pathogen surveillance data tied to primate experimentation, including Shigella prevalence, antimicrobial resistance profiles, and documented worker exposures. The letter argues that the CDC cannot warn the public about rising drug-resistant Shigella infections while withholding information about a known reservoir moving through a federally authorized monkey importation and experimentation pipeline.

PETA’s report comes on the heels of a recent CDC warning about rising cases of extensively drug-resistant Shigella infections in humans. Yet the agency failed to acknowledge that primates, long recognized as a natural reservoir for Shigella, are a documented source of infection, even though the CDC acknowledges that imported monkeys can carry pathogens “that may be a public health concern such as clinical signs consistent with filovirus infection, confirmed Shigella and Campylobacter infection, and malaria.”

Shigella is an entrenched pathogen claimed to be circulating throughout the U.S. monkey research industry, infecting workers, persisting in colonies, and contributing to the emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant strains. As one attendee at a University of Washington Safety Committee meeting observed, “Virtually everyone who works in the [primate] units gets ill at some point in their first 6 months, due to meeting staph and Shigella for the first time and being around aerosolized fecal matter.” The University of Washington is home to one of the seven federally funded National Primate Research Centers.

Monkeys have been transported with contagious gastrointestinal disease despite that no illness was documented on their records, PETA found. Just days after 68 monkeys were trucked from the University of Washington's breeding facility in Arizona to Seattle in September 2023, 47 tested positive for Shigella. Yet, they were certified for transport with zero signs of infectious disease.



A macaque suffering from diarrhea caged at a primate importation and breeding facility in Florida. Photo obtained by PETA.

Hendry Sheriff Arrests - Drugs, Probation Violations

ARREST BLOTTER

05/11/2026 – 05/17/2026

Felony/DUI Arrest

David Michael Sidegottom, 61, North Ft. Myers was arrested on May 11, 2026, by Deputy Sheriff A. Najjar on charges of DUI and DUI – Breath Alcohol of 0.08 or More

Carlos A. Nunez Xenes, 45, Clewiston was arrested on May 11, 2026, by Deputy Sheriff D. Givans on two ((2) counts of Felony Probation Violation

Alejandro Ruiz, 33, Clewiston was arrested on May 11, 2026, by Deputy Sheriff M. Frazier on charges of Driving While Suspended/Revoked

Andrew Michael Boucicault, 26, Homestead was arrested on May 11, 2026, by Deputy Sheriff K. Rollins on charges of Felony Probation Violation

Tommy Lee Ray, III, 28, LaBelle was arrested on May 12, 2026, by Deputy Sheriff R. Sawicki on charges of Felony Battery by Person Detained in Detention Facility

Jesus E. Santillana, 36, LaBelle was arrested on May 12, 2026, by Deputy Sheriff R. Conant on charges of Felony Probation Violation

Juan Jesus Bedolla, 20, Winter Garden was arrested on May 13, 2026, by Deputy Sheriff J. Crawford on charges of Felony Probation Violation

Robert Donald Cypress, 37, Clewiston was arrested on May 14, 2026, by Deputy Sheriff D. Givans on charges of Felony Probation Violation

Hunter Alexander Avery, 24, LaBelle was arrested on May 14, 2026, by Deputy Sheriff D. Blanco on charges of Battery and Battery by Strangulation

Kevin Javier Alvarado, 28, Palm Bay was arrested on May 15, 2026, by Deputy Sheriff B. Dibernardino on a Felony Warrant – Aggravated Assault with Deadly Weapon without Intent to Kill

Joe David Cline, 59, LaBelle was arrested on May 15, 2026, by Sgt. J. Olvera on charges of Felony Aggravated Battery on Person 65 years of age or Older

Lawrence Eloy Gort, 32, Clewiston was arrested on May 15, 2026, by Deputy Sheriff j. Estiverne on charges of Driving While License Suspended – Habitual Offender

Patrick Ethan Johnson, 62, LaBelle was arrested on May 16, 2026, by Deputy Sheriff R. Gosa on charges of Battery on LEO and Resist Officer with Violence

Jose Javier San Marty, 34, LaBelle was arrested on May 16, 2026, by Deputy Sheriff R. Conant on charges of DUI, Possession of Marijuana under 20 grams and Possession of Drug Equipment.