Top 5 heavy drones, the destruction of which affected the military budget of Washington, Israel and Iran
Heavy reconnaissance and attack drones have played an important role since the first day of the war between the United States and Israel against Iran. Their active use also led to heavy losses. The United States, according to American media sources, could have lost almost a tenth of the MQ-9 Reaper ("Reaper") drones in service since the beginning of the conflict, and the total damage from the loss of this type of weapon approached $ 1 billion. Izvestia analyzed the course of hostilities and compiled the top 5 losses of heavy reconnaissance and attack drones by the parties to the conflict, based on the number and cost of restoring their potential.
1. MQ-9 Reaper (USA)
Losses — 24. Damage — up to $720 million
The first place in our rating was taken by the MQ-9 Reaper reconnaissance drone ("Reaper"). At the time of the outbreak of the war with Iran, the American military-industrial complex produced, according to various estimates, from 430 to 575 such devices, including for export. The US Air Force operates about 300 of them. The Reaper has become one of the most massive large strategic drones in the world, has undergone a baptism of fire in Afghanistan and Iraq, is used to patrol the border with Mexico, etc.
Since the beginning of the war with Iran, the United States has lost 24 MQ-9 Reapers, CBS reported on April 9, citing sources.
Military expert Dmitry Kornev considers this assessment close to reality. According to him, it is confirmed, among other things, by video and photographic materials with the destruction of these drones or their debris, which are actively distributed on the Internet.
The fact that the United States lost so many aircraft is not surprising — they are used as actively as possible during the conflict, often hitting targets deep in Iranian territory, said military expert Yuri Lyamin.
"You can also count the financial losses of the Americans — one such device costs about $30 million, which means the total amount was $720 million," he said.
The five-ton, 11-meter-long machine with a 25-meter wingspan is equipped with turboprop engines that can reach speeds of more than 400 km/h, climb to an altitude of 13 km and stay in the air for 24 hours.
The drone can carry television cameras operating in the visible and infrared ranges, radars and other special equipment that is used for reconnaissance. The strike arsenal includes Hellfire missiles, guided 227—kilogram GBU-12 Paveway II and GBU-38 bombs and other weapons systems.
At the same time, the losses of even 24 MQ-9 Reapers do not look critical for the US Air Force yet, Dmitry Kornev noted. According to him, the Americans are maintaining the necessary number of such vehicles in the conflict zone, transferring them from air bases in other parts of the world.
2. MQ-4 Triton (USA)
Losses — 1. Damage — up to $245 million
On April 9, the American command officially confirmed the loss of the MQ-4 Triton unmanned reconnaissance aircraft in the Persian Gulf, a marine variation of the RQ-4 Global Hawk strategic reconnaissance UAV. A technical malfunction was cited as the cause.
Depending on the equipment, the cost of such a drone ranges from $ 120 to $245 million.
"This is a sensitive loss for the American Army and Navy,— Dmitry Kornev said. — These drones have been specially designed for deep sea and coastal reconnaissance. The information they collect helps to locate important military installations and plan strike operations.
The take—off weight of the "bird" reaches 15 tons, its length is about 14 meters, and the wingspan is about 40.
The device's radars can operate in any weather conditions and scan the terrain to a depth of about 200 km, detecting moving targets, among other things. Daytime and infrared cameras can confirm the information coming from the radar, providing video images at any time of the day. The device can also be equipped with a laser designator and a rangefinder.
In addition to the basic features of the RQ-4 Global Hawk, the MQ-4 Triton has a reinforced structure, an anti-icing system and lightning protection to be able to descend through clouds if necessary for closer observation of targets on the surface of the water.
3. IAI Heron (Israel)
Losses — 4. Damage — up to $46 million
Iran has also shot down several Israeli IAI Heron reconnaissance and attack drones. A week after the start of the conflict, the Israeli media reported the loss of at least 4 such devices. In the maximum configuration, its cost reaches $ 46 million. Thus, the total damage can reach up to $184 million even without taking into account subsequent losses.
Heron devices with multi—mode radar are designed for reconnaissance and patrolling, and the latest modification is also used for strikes. The flight duration of the "bird" reaches 45 hours. Dimensions of the machine: length — more than 8 meters, wingspan — about 15.
Iran's air defense was able to inflict significant losses on the coalition's unmanned vehicles despite its modest capabilities, experts say.
—During the conflict, the Iranian ambush tactics worked well, during which Israeli UAVs detected and hit complexes with passive guidance systems that can find targets without turning on the radar," explained Yuri Lyamin.
4. Hermes 900 (Israel)
Losses — 3. Damage — up to $90 million
Video images of the hit Israeli Hermes 900-type reconnaissance and attack drones appeared in the early days of the conflict. According to Israeli media, in the first week of the conflict alone, the IDF lost 3 Hermes 900, and several more were damaged. With the cost of the device in the order of $ 30 million, the damage can be at least $ 90 million.
The Hermes 900 is equipped with optoelectronic surveillance systems, radars capable of detecting moving targets, as well as infrared sensors and laser rangefinder designators.
A communication system is installed on board, which allows transmitting all information, including video, to the command post in real time. They can also strike at ground targets.
— Such machines worked in areas where there may be Iranian missile launchers, — Yuri Lyamin explained. — Their use was important — with the help of these machines, Israel destroyed the enemy's missile capabilities on its territory, reducing the number of launches in the country.
At the same time, on the eve of the truce, Iran confidently maintained the number of daily missile launches, which indicates that the losses of reconnaissance UAVs turned out to be sensitive for Israel and they could no longer control all areas from where the enemy launched its strikes, Yuri Lyamin noted.
"It is likely that the Israeli army has become less likely to use reconnaissance and attack vehicles in combat," he noted. — The number of videos of affected vehicles or Iranian military installations has also decreased.
5. Qods Mohajer-6 (Iran)
Losses — n/a Damage — up to $1 million
Iran, for its part, has lost several large Qods Mohajer-6 attack and reconnaissance UAVs.
This is the expected outcome of the confrontation between the American and Israeli air defenses against Iranian reconnaissance vehicles, experts say. It operates at a relatively low altitude — about 3,100 m and at speeds up to 200 km/h. The wingspan of the car is 10 meters, the length is more than 5.5 meters.
"For modern anti—aircraft systems, such a slow—moving and large enough drone is an easy target," Dmitry Kornev noted.
These vehicles can conduct reconnaissance and carry missiles to destroy detected objects. They began to be released in 2018, and they have long been ill with "childhood diseases", having proved themselves to be a reliable combat platform. Due to the relative cheapness — about $ 100 thousand per device, the loss of several cannot be considered a serious damage.
Bogdan Stepovoy
