US loses military equipment worth $2 billion in four days into Iran conflict
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "US loses military equipment worth $2 billion in four days into Iran conflict")
US loses military equipment worth $2 billion in four days into Iran conflict Photograph: (Credit: AFP)
US military equipment losses exceed $1.9 billion as Iran strikes seven bases in four days, including strategic radars in Qatar and the UAE and F-15Es in Kuwait.
As US and Israel conducted a joint military operation in Iran, America has sustained nearly $2 billion in equipment losses during the first four days of its campaign, according to data compiled by the news agency Anadolu. The primary driver of this figure is the destruction of a $1.1 billion AN/FPS-132 early warning radar system at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, which was hit by an Iranian missile strike on Saturday. Qatari officials have since confirmed the damage to the strategic asset.
In addition to the massive radar losses in Qatar, the US military has faced significant setbacks in Kuwait and Bahrain during the opening stage of the conflict. On Sunday, three F-15E Strike Eagles were destroyed in a high-profile "friendly fire" incident involving Kuwaiti air defences. While all six aircrew members successfully ejected and were recovered, the loss of the airframes is estimated at $282 million.
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Simultaneously, Saturday’s opening Iranian salvo targeted the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters in Manama, Bahrain. Open-source intelligence (OSINT) confirms the destruction of several large buildings and two AN/GSC-52B satellite communications (SATCOM) terminals, representing a loss of approximately $20 million in specialised hardware and deployment costs.
The Iranian military has claimed a strategic victory with the reported destruction of the AN/TPY-2 radar, a $500 million component of the US THAAD Anti-Ballistic Missile system in Al-Ruwais, UAE. Open-source intelligence and satellite imagery have since provided visual evidence of a successful hit on the installation. This loss brings the total estimated value of US military assets damaged by Iran to $1.902 billion in just four days. Since the U.S. and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury on February 28 resulting in the assassination of supreme leader Ali Khamenei, Tehran has carried out retaliatory strikes against seven key American installations.
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- Bahrain: US Fifth Fleet Headquarters (Manama)
- Kuwait: Camp Arifjan, Ali Al Salem Air Base, and Camp Buehring
- Iraq: Erbil Air Base
- UAE: Jebel Ali Port (the U.S. Navy's busiest regional port of call)
- Qatar: Al Udeid Air Base
In addition to the military bases, US diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE have also been targeted. The US Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was hit by two drones. Amid the turbulence in the Middle East, Iran has struck its neighbouring regions. After Iran declared the death of its Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan slammed the nation for targeting its neighbours with missiles. The President asked Iran to act accordingly, reinforcing the idea that Tehran is not at war with neighbours like the UAE.
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Following the joint US-Israel military action that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has vowed to avenge his death. The country has gone all guns blazing at its neighbours. Speaking to the news outlet Sky News, Anwar Gargash, the president's advisor to the UAE President, highlighted how Tehran’s position lacks clarity and a rational vision. He also characterised the attacks as blatant and irresponsible.
