Iran Says It Downed 52nd US MQ-9 Reaper Drone Over Qeshm Island

TEHRAN: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says its air-defence forces have intercepted and destroyed the 52nd US MQ-9 Reaper drone since the beginning of the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran.

According to the IRGC Public Relations Office, the drone was intercepted at 2:29am local time on Wednesday over Qeshm Island by Iran’s advanced air-defence system.

The IRGC said hundreds of hostile drones had been shot down by Iranian air-defence forces during what it described as the “Third Imposed War”.

According to the IRGC, the drones destroyed by Iranian air defences include Lucas, Hermes, MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper systems.

The IRGC Aerospace Force also announced on Tuesday that it had intercepted and destroyed an MQ-1 Predator over the Strait of Hormuz.

The latest incident followed another reported MQ-1 interception over the strategic waterway, bringing the number of MQ-1 drones Iran says have been destroyed by its integrated air-defence network to three.

Earlier, the IRGC also announced the destruction of a US unmanned surface vessel near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, describing the operation as a timely action to protect Iran’s territorial integrity and national interests.

Bloomberg has separately reported that Iran has destroyed more than two dozen MQ-9 Reaper drones since the start of the US-Israeli conflict in late February.

The report said the losses would represent nearly 20 percent of the Pentagon’s MQ-9 inventory before the offensive, based on the figures cited.

Congressional testimony cited by Bloomberg indicated that the US Air Force’s operational MQ-9 fleet had fallen to approximately 135 aircraft, below its reported minimum level of 189.

The manufacturer of the MQ-9, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, has reportedly confirmed that fewer than 10 new airframes remain available for acquisition and that production of the Reaper has ceased.

The reported losses and limited availability of replacement aircraft could place additional pressure on US unmanned surveillance and strike capabilities.

Military analysts cited in the report have suggested that the loss of MQ-9 drones has also encouraged greater reliance on the older MQ-1 platform for sustained operations against Iran.

The latest reported interception comes amid an increasing number of incidents involving American unmanned systems operating near Iranian territory and the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has repeatedly highlighted its integrated air-defence network and its ability to detect and engage sophisticated unmanned aircraft.

The US military has not, in the information provided, independently confirmed the IRGC’s latest claim concerning the MQ-9 over Qeshm Island.

The competing accounts reflect the wider military and information confrontation between Tehran and Washington over the scale of losses and the effectiveness of Iranian air defences.