From Newsgroup: nz.politics
These attacks on Iran are proving a bit costly for the US military to
maintain <
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/07/us-seeks-cheaper-hunter-killer-drones-after-iran-destroys-1b-worth-of-reapers/>,
so theyrCOre looking for cheaper options:
A heavy reliance on Reapers avoids putting more US pilots at risk,
but it has also led to Iranian air defenses shooting down dozens
of the hunter-killer drones. The US military had lost nearly 30
Reaper drones as of May 2026, including some destroyed on the
ground by Iranian counterstrikes, according to Air & Space Forces
Magazine. The Air Force acknowledged such combat losses as
reducing its Reaper fleet to about 135 drones.
The total US taxpayer bill for the destroyed Reapers comes to
about $1 billion, according to Bloomberg. A typical Reaper may
cost $30 million per aircraft, but the Air Force has said a Reaper
equipped with a full sensor package can cost up to $50 million.
IrCOm sure those fighter pilots appreciate the fact that keeping them
alive while they kill Iranians is proving somewhat ... expensive ...
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