Iran downed at least 2 unmanned American aircraft in recent days, U.S. officials say

Washington — Iranian forces in recent days have brought down at least two American MQ-1 unmanned aircraft, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter who spoke to CBS News on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

It is unclear where in the region the remotely piloted aircraft were brought down or which MQ-1 variant was involved. The U.S. military has fielded two principal MQ-1 variants: the Predator, which became a fixture of U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan before the Air Force retired it in 2018, and the Gray Eagle, a larger Predator-derived aircraft still operated by the Army, including its special operations forces.

Both the Predator and Gray Eagle were designed for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions but they can also carry Hellfire missiles for striking targets. In the Strait of Hormuz, these unmanned aircraft can provide U.S. forces with persistent surveillance over the narrow waterway while also tracking Iranian military activity and monitoring threats to both American forces and commercial shipping.

If the aircraft were the Air Force’s older MQ-1 Predators that have largely been retired, the loss of two would equate to roughly $8 million total. Gray Eagles are more expensive depending on the variant and can cost tens of millions of dollars. 

At least 24 MQ-9 Reapers have been lost since the U.S. began its war with Iran, representing a loss of roughly $720 million, according to a report released by the Congressional Budget Office this week. The report also said an MQ-4C Triton was destroyed, a loss of about $150 million.  

U.S. Central Command, the U.S. military unit responsible for operations against Iran, declined to comment to CBS News on Thursday.