An Apache helicopter that crashed into the sea on Monday after being shot down by Iran while patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz was far from an isolated loss.
It is at least the 43rd U.S. military aircraft to be damaged or destroyed during Operation Epic Fury since the U.S. deployed assets to the Middle East in late February 2026.
The U.S. military has lost dozens of aircraft including at least five fighter jets, seven Stratotanker refueling aircraft, a search-and-rescue helicopter, and more than two dozen drones, since the war with Iran began in late February, according to a Congressional Research Service report issued in May.
Among the most notable prior losses:
- An F-15E Strike Eagle went down over Iran in April, triggering a two-day search and rescue effort described by some officials as one of the most complex operations in U.S. military history. Both pilots were rescued.
- A KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in Iraq in March, killing six crew members after colliding with another Stratotanker.
- An F-35 Lightning II made an emergency landing at a U.S. base in March after Iran claimed responsibility for an attack on it.
Apache Losses Over the Past Decade
The Strait of Hormuz incident is the latest in a broader pattern of Apache losses. According to U.S. military records, over 20 Class A flight mishaps incidents resulting in destruction of or severe damage to the aircraft have been recorded across the Apache fleet over the past decade.
Fiscal Year 2024 was particularly costly, with nine Class A mishaps recorded in that year alone, predominantly attributed to human error, maintenance failures, or bird strikes. Additional Apaches have been lost during routine training exercises on U.S. soil and in operational deployments worldwide since 2016.
What Does an Apache Cost?
The Apache is one of the most expensive rotary-wing assets in the U.S. military inventory:
- Base flyaway cost: $35 million to $50 million per aircraft for the AH-64E variant.
- Full international acquisition packages, including weaponry, maintenance infrastructure, and pilot training, often exceed $100 million per aircraft, according to U.S. Department of State records.
- Operating cost: Approximately $10,000 per flight hour, making it one of the more resource-intensive platforms to maintain in the field.
