U.S. aircraft strike Iranian radar and command sites after drone loss
U.S. fighter aircraft struck Iranian radar and command-and-control sites on Saturday and Sunday following the downing of an MQ-1 drone. The strikes targeted air defenses and related facilities in Goruk and on Qeshm Island.
The War ZoneU.S. fighter aircraft struck Iranian radar and command-and-control sites in Goruk and on Qeshm Island on Saturday and Sunday. The strikes targeted air defenses, a ground control station, and two one-way attack drones after an MQ-1 was shot down over international waters. No American service members were harmed.
fleet status The Air Force officially stopped operating the MQ-1 Predator in 2018. As of September 2024, 15 MQ-1Bs remained in storage at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. Nearly 30 MQ-9 Reapers have been lost in operations against Iran, according to a May 2026 report by Air & Space Forces Magazine.
CBS News reported on April 9 that up to 24 Reapers had been lost since fighting began in February. Air Force Lt. Gen. David Tabor stated on May 13 that the service’s MQ-9 fleet had dwindled to 135 aircraft. The Air Force had 165 Reapers at the start of Fiscal Year 2026 and 231 at the start of Fiscal Year 2025.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach called the Reaper “perhaps the most valuable player” in the latest conflict with Iran. General Atomics had less than 10 new or company-owned MQ-9As available to offer the Air Force as of May 2026.
June 1, CENTCOM forces have redirected 121 commercial vessels and disabled five vessels to enforce the blockade of Iranian ports.
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