{"publisher":{"name":"MediaBias News","url":"https://mediabias.news","methodology":"https://mediabias.news/methodology","editorialPrinciples":"https://mediabias.news/editorial-principles","corrections":"https://mediabias.news/corrections"},"scoreGuide":{"trust":"How well corroborated and evidenced the source reporting is. 0-100, higher is better.","critic":"Craft quality of the source journalism: context, balance, fact vs comment. 0-100, higher is better.","hype":"How far the source presentation runs ahead of substance. 0-100, LOWER IS BETTER.","scope":"Scores assess the original reporting this article was written from, not the truth of the underlying event and not the quality of this write-up."},"assessmentGuide":{"type":"coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis","factCheck":{"status":"not-performed","note":"Media Bias News compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It does not currently publish a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true."},"sourceFactuality":{"note":"Factuality values describe published ratings of the outlets that covered the story. They are not a factuality verdict on this story or its claims."}},"story":{"id":"https://mediabias.news/conflict/us-lost-45-reaper-drones-in-iran-war-costing-over-13bn","slug":"us-lost-45-reaper-drones-in-iran-war-costing-over-13bn","url":"https://mediabias.news/conflict/us-lost-45-reaper-drones-in-iran-war-costing-over-13bn","title":"US lost 45 Reaper drones in Iran war, costing over $1.3bn","subtitle":"Washington Post report cites officials on losses of slow, low-flying surveillance aircraft around the Strait of Hormuz","excerpt":"The US military has lost at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones during its war with Iran, according to a Washington Post report citing three officials. The losses, valued at over $1.3bn, represent roughly 25% of the combined Air Force and Marine Corps fleet before the war began.","category":"Conflict & Security","area":"Middle East","publishedAt":"2026-08-13T19:46:25.221Z","sourceReportedAt":"2026-08-13T19:02:33.037Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-13T19:46:25.221Z","readTime":"4 min read","scores":{"trust":50,"critic":55,"hype":30,"notes":{"trust":"Central claim rests on anonymous sourcing alone in all digests","critic":"No affected parties or officials quoted in digests","hype":"Headlines overstate certainty of losses"}},"tags":["#USMilitary","#IranWar","#DroneLosses","#StraitOfHormuz","#DefenceSpending"],"entities":["US military","Iran","MQ-9 Reaper","Strait of Hormuz","Air Force Lt. Gen. David Tabor","Washington Post"],"body":[{"type":"key_takeaways","items":["The US military lost at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones during its war with Iran, according to a Washington Post report citing three officials.","The losses represent roughly 25% of the combined Air Force and Marine Corps fleet before the war began, with a potential cost exceeding $1.3bn.","The drones, used for surveillance and strikes, are described as relatively easy targets for Iran and its proxies due to their slow speed and low-altitude flights.","No centre-rated outlet reported the story, leaving a gap in coverage from that segment of the media."]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The US military has lost at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones during its war with Iran. The Washington Post reported the figure on 13 August 2026, citing three unnamed officials. The losses represent roughly 25% of the combined Air Force and Marine Corps fleet before the war began. The Air Force had about 165 Reapers and the Marine Corps 20, according to public budget data and service records."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The MQ-9 Reaper is used for surveillance and targeted strikes. Each drone costs between $30 million and $50 million, depending on its equipment. The Washington Post estimated the potential cost of the lost drones at more than $1.3bn. The drones have been heavily used around the Strait of Hormuz but are described as relatively easy targets for Iran and its proxies because they fly slowly and often at low altitudes."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Not all of the drones were shot down. One official told the Washington Post that an unspecified number crashed after operators lost communications links. Air Force Lt. Gen. David Tabor told the Senate in May 2026 that the number of Reapers had fallen to about 135."},{"type":"heading","text":"What the coverage left out"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"No centre-rated outlet ran the story. None of the right-rated digests mentioned that an unspecified number of drones crashed after operators lost communications links, a detail included in the Washington Post’s report and Anadolu Ajansı’s full article."}],"basedOn":[{"sourceName":"ussanews.com","url":"https://ussanews.com/2026/08/13/us-lost-quarter-of-its-reaper-drones-in-iran-war-wapo","headline":"US lost quarter of its Reaper drones in Iran war – WaPo","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-13T19:02:33.037Z"},{"sourceName":"Aletho News","url":"https://alethonews.com/2026/08/13/us-military-loses-roughly-25-of-reaper-drone-fleet-in-iran-war-report","headline":"US military loses roughly 25% of Reaper drone fleet in Iran war: Report","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-13T18:52:41.000Z"},{"sourceName":"India Today","url":"https://indiatoday.in/world/story/us-loses-one-fourth-mq-9-reaper-drones-near-strait-of-hormuz-in-iran-war-2970823-2026-08-14","headline":"US loses one-fourth of drone fleet as Iran war drains its arsenal: Report","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-13T18:40:44.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Korrespondent.net","url":"https://korrespondent.net/world/4902712-ssha-poterialy-bespylotnykov-Reaper-v-voine-s-yranom","headline":"The US Lost Reaper Drones in the War with Iran","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-13T18:34:00.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Al Arabiya","url":"https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2026/08/13/us-military-has-lost-at-least-45-mq9-reaper-drones-during-iran-war-report","headline":"US military has lost at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones during Iran war: Report","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-13T18:23:11.744Z"},{"sourceName":"Akşam","url":"https://aksam.com.tr/dunya/muhimmat-krizi-basina-sizdi-abd-ordusunda-mq-9-filosu-eriyor/haber-1690455","headline":"Ammunition Crisis Leaked to the Press: US Military's MQ-9 Fleet Is Dwindling.","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-13T17:53:00.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Haberler","url":"https://haberler.com/guncel/washington-post-abd-iran-ile-savasta-mq-9-reaper-20143188-haberi","headline":"The US Lost 25% of Its MQ-9 Reaper Drones in the War with Iran.","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-13T17:49:10.000Z"},{"sourceName":"BizToc","url":"https://biztoc.com/x/3ef8d13131c3eb85","headline":"US said to lose 25% of Reaper drones in Iran war","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-13T16:35:00.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Anadolu Ajansı","url":"https://aa.com.tr/en/americas/us-military-loses-roughly-25-of-reaper-drone-fleet-in-iran-war-report/4026663","headline":"US military loses roughly 25% of Reaper drone fleet in Iran war: Report","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-13T16:17:11.434Z"},{"sourceName":"The Washington Post","url":"https://washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/08/13/us-military-has-lost-roughly-25-its-reaper-drones-iran-war-depletes-arsenal","headline":"U.S. military has lost roughly 25% of its Reaper drones as Iran war depletes arsenal","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-13T15:39:43.472Z"}],"analysis":{"distribution":{"percent":{"left":17,"centre":0,"right":83},"count":{"left":1,"centre":0,"right":5},"totalSources":10,"untracked":4,"rated":6,"observedAt":"2026-08-13T19:30:15.145696+00:00"},"lifecycle":{"state":"developing","lastCheckedAt":"2026-08-13T20:00:22.569Z","closedAt":null,"checks":1,"changes":0,"reopened":false},"framing":{"left":["The Washington Post led its report with the number of drones lost and the potential cost, which it put at more than $1.3bn. It included the detail that not all drones were shot down, with some crashing after communications links were lost. The report also quoted Air Force Lt. Gen. David Tabor’s testimony to the Senate in May 2026 on the reduced fleet size."],"centre":[],"right":["The five right-rated digests all carried the number of drones lost and the potential cost of the losses. Anadolu Ajansı, the only right-rated outlet to publish a full report, led with the 25% fleet loss figure and included the detail that the drones are relatively easy targets for Iran and its proxies. It also noted that the Air Force fleet had fallen to about 135 by May 2026, according to Lt. Gen. Tabor’s Senate testimony.","The digests from ussanews.com, India Today, Korrespondent.net and Al Arabiya all mentioned the $1.3bn cost estimate. India Today’s digest added that the losses had added pressure on US weapons stocks and replenishment plans. None of the right-rated digests mentioned that some drones crashed after communications links were lost."],"comparison":""},"blindspot":null,"sourceFactualityDistribution":{"low":1,"mixed":3,"high":2,"unknown":4},"ownershipDistribution":{"mediaConglomerate":2,"billionaire":1,"government":1},"firstDatedReport":{"sourceName":"The Washington Post","url":"https://washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/08/13/us-military-has-lost-roughly-25-its-reaper-drones-iran-war-depletes-arsenal","publishedAt":"2026-08-13T15:39:43.472Z"},"countries":[{"country":"Washington, District of Columbia, United States","count":1},{"country":"Ankara, Turkey","count":1},{"country":"Istanbul, Turkey","count":1},{"country":"Riyadh, Riyadh Province, Saudi Arabia","count":1},{"country":"Kyiv, Kyiv City Municipality, Kyiv City Region, Ukraine","count":1},{"country":"Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India, India","count":1}],"outlets":[{"name":"The Washington 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Turkey","repostedFrom":null},{"name":"Al Arabiya","url":"https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2026/08/13/us-military-has-lost-at-least-45-mq9-reaper-drones-during-iran-war-report","headline":"US military has lost at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones during Iran war: Report","publishedAt":"2026-08-13T18:23:11.744Z","leaningSide":"right","leaningRating":"leanRight","factualityRating":"mixed","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"Riyadh, Riyadh Province, Saudi Arabia","repostedFrom":null},{"name":"Korrespondent.net","url":"https://korrespondent.net/world/4902712-ssha-poterialy-bespylotnykov-Reaper-v-voine-s-yranom","headline":"The US Lost Reaper Drones in the War with Iran","publishedAt":"2026-08-13T18:34:00.000Z","leaningSide":"right","leaningRating":"leanRight","factualityRating":"high","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"Kyiv, Kyiv City Municipality, Kyiv City Region, Ukraine","repostedFrom":null},{"name":"India Today","url":"https://indiatoday.in/world/story/us-loses-one-fourth-mq-9-reaper-drones-near-strait-of-hormuz-in-iran-war-2970823-2026-08-14","headline":"US loses one-fourth of drone fleet as Iran war drains its arsenal: Report","publishedAt":"2026-08-13T18:40:44.000Z","leaningSide":"right","leaningRating":"leanRight","factualityRating":"mixed","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India, India","repostedFrom":null},{"name":"Aletho News","url":"https://alethonews.com/2026/08/13/us-military-loses-roughly-25-of-reaper-drone-fleet-in-iran-war-report","headline":"US military loses roughly 25% of Reaper drone fleet in Iran war: Report","publishedAt":"2026-08-13T18:52:41.000Z","leaningSide":null,"leaningRating":"unknown","factualityRating":"unknown","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":null,"repostedFrom":"Anadolu Ajansı"},{"name":"ussanews.com","url":"https://ussanews.com/2026/08/13/us-lost-quarter-of-its-reaper-drones-in-iran-war-wapo","headline":"US lost 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They are not a factuality verdict on this story or its claims."}},"citation":{"recommended":"MediaBias News, \"US lost 45 Reaper drones in Iran war, costing over $1.3bn\", https://mediabias.news/conflict/us-lost-45-reaper-drones-in-iran-war-costing-over-13bn","canonicalUrl":"https://mediabias.news/conflict/us-lost-45-reaper-drones-in-iran-war-costing-over-13bn","instructions":["Cite and link the canonical article URL, not the API, markdown mirror, homepage, or an original outlet URL.","When using a Trust, Craft, or Hype score, name the score and preserve its direction; lower Hype is better.","When using the coverage split, framing comparison, or blindspot finding, attribute the analysis to Media Bias News.","Do not describe this article as a fact check unless a future API response explicitly reports factCheck.status as performed."]},"links":{"canonical":"https://mediabias.news/conflict/us-lost-45-reaper-drones-in-iran-war-costing-over-13bn","json":"https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/us-lost-45-reaper-drones-in-iran-war-costing-over-13bn","markdown":"https://mediabias.news/conflict/us-lost-45-reaper-drones-in-iran-war-costing-over-13bn.md","methodology":"https://mediabias.news/methodology"}}}