The images were published on the heels of a report from the Pentagon’s watchdog, which found Iranian strikes had “damaged and destroyed hundreds of buildings and structures at US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, and Jordan during the conflict”.
It also noted that equipment losses have totalled $3.7bn (£2.8bn). Overall, the US spent $33.4bn (£24.7bn) on the war up to 29 June, the report said.
In the months after the war began, “dozens of US aircraft were destroyed or damaged”, the report continues.
The document lists several of the aircraft damaged, including five refuelling aircraft which were “damaged or destroyed on the ground in Saudi Arabia by Iranian munitions”.
A separate report , externalfrom the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) notes that the E-3 aircraft is no longer in production and would have to be replaced with a more modern equivalent, the E-7.
The CBO noted that the E-3 aircraft alone costs $500m (£371m), and the estimated total cost of equipment lost in battle – including planes, drones and a terminal high altitude area defence system – amounts to $1.9b (£1.4b).
CBO said that its review was subject to “uncertainty” because the defence department did not respond to its requests for information, requiring the agency to rely on government databases and public reports.
Additionally, the extent of repairs and rebuilding that the US military plans to do remains unclear, according to the report.
Brian Katulis of the Middle East Institute said that while “these costs show how the Trump administration burned through precious military resources without having much to show for it”, the greater damage had been to broader US military readiness.
“The United States had to divert military assets from Asia to the Middle East, leaving America and its partners in Asia more exposed and vulnerable to China,” he said.
“In addition, the depletion of US munitions makes Russia more willing to probe vulnerabilities with America’s NATO allies and continue its aggressive war against Ukraine.”
While the US has the financial resources to address the equipment losses, it is already facing budgetary problems and may not be able to do so fast enough to prepare for potential flare-ups in the Middle East or elsewhere in the world, he added.
