US senator cites report claiming 39 aircraft lost in Iran conflict in Senate hearing
US Democratic Congressman Ed Case told the hearing that, “We've lost about 39 aircraft, according to a report in The War Zone, and that's an old one that's almost one month old”
A US lawmaker said during a Senate committee hearing that the United States may have lost dozens of aircraft during the recent conflict with Iran, citing a report from defence publication The War Zone, though the Pentagon did not confirm the figures.
The conflict began on 28 February after strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran and led to weeks of aerial combat and regional instability, including Iranian retaliation against Israel and US allies in the Gulf and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, says Anadolu Agency.
US Democratic Congressman Ed Case told the hearing that, "We've lost about 39 aircraft, according to a report in The War Zone, and that's an old one that's almost one month old".
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Case also asked Pentagon officials whether they had calculated "a retention cost on all those aircraft".
Pentagon Chief Financial Officer Jay Hurst did not verify the reported losses during the hearing.
"There are costs there, sir, but I want to get back to you in writing and what they specifically are, because, as you can imagine, repair of aircraft is something that's very hard to calculate," Hurst said.
"We want to do a full diagnosis of the aircraft before we estimate that cost," he added.
The US Air Force conducted nearly 13,000 flights during the conflict, according to the information discussed at the hearing.
A ceasefire mediated by Pakistan took effect on 8 April. Diplomatic talks held in Islamabad did not produce a permanent settlement, though President Donald Trump later extended the truce indefinitely.
The reported aircraft losses have not been independently verified or publicly confirmed by the Pentagon.
