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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsTwo U.S. Air Force MC-130J aircraft were reportedly destroyed in Iran after they could not depart during a search-and-rescue mission for a downed F-15E crew member. The claim that each cost more than $100 million comes from news reporting that cites U.S. military data; the reviewed official documents do not independently confirm that exact unit price. The public record also does not yet provide a comprehensive official accounting of U.S. aircraft losses in the operation.
What an MC-130J does
The MC-130J Commando II is a special-operations aircraft, not a standard transport plane. The U.S. Air Force says it supports clandestine or low-visibility infiltration, exfiltration and resupply of special operations forces, by airdrop or by landing. It also provides aerial refueling for special-operations helicopters and tiltrotor aircraft. The Air Force fact sheet describes these missions.
That mission profile helps explain why MC-130Js were involved in the operation to recover a downed F-15E crew member. It does not, by itself, establish the details of the aircraft losses or their cost.
What is reported about the two aircraft in Iran
The Congressional Research Service (CRS), in a report updated May 13, 2026, lists two MC-130J Commando II aircraft as intentionally destroyed on the ground after they were unable to depart during a search-and-rescue operation for a downed F-15E. CRS attributes this account to news reports published April 5. Its report provides the congressional summary.
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The Associated Press reported that an official briefed on the mission described a technical malfunction and said the United States blew up two transport planes left behind. Iran’s military command, by contrast, publicly claimed that aircraft had been shot down and said the destroyed aircraft included two C-130 transports and two Black Hawks. The AP account distinguishes those public claims.
On the sources reviewed here, the U.S.-attributed account is that two aircraft were abandoned after a malfunction and intentionally destroyed by U.S. forces. Iran’s shootdown claim is a separate account, not confirmation that Iran shot down the MC-130Js.
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What the “over $100 million each” figure means
Anadolu Agency reported on April 5, 2026, that the aircraft cost more than $100 million apiece, attributing the figure to a Wall Street Journal report citing U.S. military data. That is a reported unit-cost figure.
It should not be described as a verified replacement cost, the total loss from the incident, or a publicly confirmed price statement from Air Force Special Operations Command. The reviewed official materials do not directly establish the exact $100 million-plus figure. The FY2026 USSOCOM procurement justification describes an AC/MC-130J modernization line, but the reviewed excerpt does not independently confirm that per-aircraft price. The procurement document is available here.
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These distinctions matter financially: a reported aircraft unit cost is not automatically the amount the government would spend to replace a lost aircraft, nor does it include the cost of the rescue operation or other losses. The available figure supports only the narrower statement that reporting, citing U.S. military data, put the aircraft at more than $100 million each.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is there a complete official loss accounting?
CRS said its May 13, 2026 report that the Department of Defense had not published a comprehensive assessment of Operation Epic Fury aircraft losses. It cautioned that public counts could change because of classification, ongoing combat and attribution issues. That is the status described in that congressional overview, not proof that no later accounting has been released.
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Accordingly, the two MC-130Js are a reported loss count in the CRS account, not a complete final tally of all aircraft losses in the operation.
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