"Iranian Skies Turn Into a Graveyard for the US Military's Famed Combat Drone:" IRGC shoots down US MQ-9 Reaper Drone Over Strait of Hormuz

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has announced that its aerospace force shot down an American MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Strait of Hormuz using a “modern and advanced” air defense system.

The IRGC stated Monday that further details would be announced subsequently. 

The downing, confirmed by the IRGC’s official Sepah News outlet, marks the latest in a series of devastating losses for the US military’s premier armed reconnaissance platform.

The MQ-9 Reaper, which the US Air Force has called the “most valuable player” of its campaign against Iran, has suffered catastrophic attrition since the war began in late February.

According to Bloomberg, Iran has destroyed over two dozen MQ-9s since the start of the terrorist US-Israeli war—nearly 20 percent of the Pentagon’s pre-war inventory. At $30 million per airframe, the total damage is estimated at approximately $1 billion.

The Air Force’s operational Reaper fleet has fallen to roughly 135 aircraft, well below its own minimum floor of 189, according to congressional testimony cited by Bloomberg and The War Zone.

General Atomics, the manufacturer, has confirmed that fewer than 10 new airframes remain available for purchase, and the production line for the MQ-9A has been shut down. [MORE] and [MORE]