At least 42 US aircraft, including fighter jets and drones, were lost or damaged during Operation Epic Fury launched on February 28 against Iran, according to an official report by the Congressional Research Service (CRS).
The report said the number of aircraft damaged or destroyed may be revised due to factors such as classification, ongoing combat activity and attribution.
The reported losses and damage include four F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets, one F-35A Lightning II fighter aircraft, one A-10 Thunderbolt II ground-attack aircraft, seven KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refuelling aircraft, one E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft, two MC-130J Commando II special operations aircraft, one HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter, 24 MQ-9 Reaper drones and one MQ-4C Triton drone.
The CRS, which provides policy and legal analysis to the US Congress and its committees, said it compiled the data by reviewing news reports and statements issued by the Department of Defence and the US Central Command.
The report comes amid growing scrutiny of the financial costs of military operations in Iran. During a hearing of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on May 12, Acting Pentagon Comptroller Jules W. Hurst III said the estimated cost of operations had risen sharply.
"A lot of that increase comes from having a refined estimate on repair or replacement costs for equipment," he said.
According to Hurst, the Department of Defense’s cost estimate for military operations in Iran has increased to $29 billion.
(With inputs from PTI)