Pentagon Watchdog Report Reveals US Faces Severe Munition Shortages and $3.7 Billion in Military Losses in Iran Conflict
WASHINGTON: The Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Defense has issued its first full official report on the growing financial and military expenses of the conflict between the United States and Iran that broke out in February.
According to the watchdog report, total US war expenditures surpassed $33.4 billion by the end of June. Of those, over $22.3 billion was spent on weapons, munitions and bombs and military equipment and aircraft valued at $3.7 billion were completely destroyed or written off.
Detailed Breakdown of Military Equipment Losses
The report lists losses of over 50 American aircraft and advanced drones destroyed or seriously damaged in the theater of operations, is a grim inventory of hardware losses.
The losses include:
Four F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets
One F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter
A ground-attack A-10 Thunderbolt II (“Warthog”) aircraft
A dozen KC-135 aerial refueling tankers
At least 30 large MQ-9 Reaper drones
The high-intensity operations have taken a toll on military logistics, and US armed forces are facing shortages of precision-guided munitions and supply chain bottlenecks.
Trump Administration Counter-Claims
Contrary to the watchdog’s report, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that the U.S. is producing “the best and most advanced weaponry in history” and that “replenishment” of hardware is “delivered every day to American forces in the Middle East and all over the world.”