Sunday morning, Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social network that the American aviator of the F-15E fighter bomber, who ejected in flight before the aircraft crashed in southwest Iran on Friday, was safe.
Describing it as one of the boldest search and rescue operations in history, Trump also mentioned a rare type of raid rarely attempted due to its risks to personnel and equipment. The operation resulted in significant material losses for Washington, as the war could cost up to 2 billion dollars a day, according to media reports.
However, the Iranian military claimed to have completely foiled the operation, stating that four US military aircraft were destroyed. While Washington has not confirmed this yet, if true, it would add to the cost of the military operation.
Initially, the Iranian army reported three American aircraft struck in the south of Isfahan, later updating the count to four. They specified that two C-130 military transport planes and two Black Hawk helicopters were destroyed.
The potential financial impact of these losses is significant, with the cost of a C-130 ranging from 30 to 75 million dollars and the Black Hawk helicopters valued at 20 to 30 million dollars each, varying based on the model.
On Friday, reports indicated that an F-15E Strike fighter was downed, which could cost between 31.1 and 100 million dollars for the latest models. Additionally, an A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft was allegedly hit and subsequently crashed in the Gulf, with a known cost of 9.8 million dollars in 1998.
Despite these losses, they represent a small fraction of the overall defense budget. The White House has requested a 42% increase in defense spending to tackle the costly war with Iran, which could see US military expenses soar to 1.5 trillion dollars next year, as per executive documents.
