CBS: Iran downed two U.S. MQ-1 drones, officials say
The report did not identify the drones’ variants or the location where they were brought down.
CBS News, citing U.S. officials, reported that Iran had downed at least two American MQ-1 drones in recent days. The variants and location of the incidents were not disclosed. The report also cited Congressional Budget Office estimates of losses involving MQ-9 Reaper and MQ-4C Triton drones.
Iran has downed at least two U.S. MQ-1 drones in recent days, CBS News reported, citing American officials.
The report, published Thursday night, said it was unclear which variants of the drones were involved or where they were downed.
The U.S. military has operated two main MQ-1 variants: the Predator, which the U.S. Air Force retired in 2018 after using it extensively in operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the larger Gray Eagle, which remains in service with the U.S. Army, including special operations units.
Both aircraft are designed for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions and can also carry Hellfire missiles for striking targets.
If the downed drones were Predators, the loss of two aircraft would amount to roughly $8 million, according to the report. Gray Eagles are more expensive, with costs potentially reaching tens of millions of dollars depending on the model.
A Congressional Budget Office report released this week said at least 24 MQ-9 Reaper drones had been lost since the start of the conflict between the United States and Iran, resulting in approximately $720 million in losses. The report also said one MQ-4C Triton drone had been destroyed, causing an estimated loss of about $150 million.