42 Aircraft Lost in Operation Epic Fury
On May 13th, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) published a report assessing U.S. aircraft losses sustained in Operation Epic Fury.
The report, called “U.S. Aircraft Combat Losses in Operation Epic Fury: Considerations for Congress,” analyzes news reports and statements by DOD and U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) to fill a gap in DOD reporting, which the CBO claims “has not published a comprehensive assessment of combat losses in OEF.”
Here are the reported losses, by aircraft type:
F-15E Strike Eagle fighter aircraft: 4
F-35A Lightning II fighter aircraft: 1
A-10 Thunderbolt II ground-attack aircraft: 1
KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft: 7
E-3 Sentry airborne early warning-and-control system aircraft (AWACS): 1
MC-130J Commando II special operations aircraft: 2
HH-60W Jolly Green II combat search-and-rescue helicopter: 1
MQ-9 Reaper medium-altitude long-endurance uncrewed aircraft: 24
MQ-4C Triton high-altitude long-endurance uncrewed aircraft: 1
To consider
The report raises several issues for Congress to consider. Namely:
- How do these losses impinge on our operational readiness?
- What will the impact of replacing these aircraft be on future budget requests?
- To what extent do these losses represent increases in our adversaries’ capabilities?
- Are our assets sufficient to protect our interests in the next conflict?
- Is the industrial base prepared to replace these assets within the required time frames?
