Washington, Mar 18 (V7N) – The United States has lost more than a dozen MQ-9 Reaper drones during military operations against Iran, according to two US officials.

The officials said some of the drones were shot down by Iranian missile systems, while others were destroyed on the ground by enemy fire.

The MQ-9 Reaper is a versatile unmanned aerial vehicle used for both surveillance and precision strikes, capable of carrying Hellfire missiles. The scale of the losses suggests the US has been deploying these drones extensively in its operations.

The drone losses were first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

The US Air Force concluded its final five-year procurement contract for Reaper drones in 2020. Manufacturer General Atomics reportedly shut down the production line last year after producing a total of 575 units. According to company spokesman C. Mark Brinkley, the cost of the latest batch of drones is estimated at around $16 million.

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