Background

The US Air Force is the primary strike Arm of Operation Epic Fury, which began on 28 February 2026. USAF and Coalition aircraft fired more than 1,000 JASSM-ER Cruise Missiles in the campaign's first four weeks.

The EA-37B Compass Call made its first combat deployment during the conflict. On 3 April 2026, an F-15E of the 494th Fighter Squadron became the first US aircraft lost in combat over western Iran.

The service also awards and manages combat-aircraft procurement, including the CCA contracts announced on 17 June. Its mission combines combat operations with force development and procurement.

Key Issues

Combat aircraft

The Air Force awards combat aircraft

On 17 June, the US Air Force awarded its first funded Collaborative Combat Aircraft production contracts to Anduril and General Atomics. The selected aircraft were the FQ-44A and FQ-42A respectively.

On 17 June, the same award excluded Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman from the programme. For the Air Force, the decision made the CCA programme a live procurement choice while Operation Epic Fury demonstrated the demands of sustained air operations. The contracts marked the programme's first funded production awards.

Common Questions

What US planes has Iran shot down in Operation Epic Fury?

An F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down on 3 April 2026, the first US aircraft lost in the conflict. An A-10 Warthog was also downed the same day, and a second A-10 was lost during the subsequent rescue mission.Source: CENTCOM, The Aviationist

What is the EA-37B Compass Call and why is it in Iran?

The EA-37B is a Gulfstream G550-based electronic warfare aircraft that jams enemy communications, radar, and command networks. It made its first ever combat deployment in Operation Epic Fury to compensate for degraded AWACS battle management coverage.Source: CENTCOM, Air & Space Forces Magazine

How many missiles has the US used against Iran?

More than 1,000 JASSM-ER Cruise Missiles in the first four weeks, plus 850 Tomahawk Cruise Missiles — the most fired in any single US campaign in history.Source: Bloomberg, CENTCOM

Has the US Air Force achieved air superiority over Iran?

No. After 37 days of sustained strikes against Iranian air defences, US aircraft continue to be shot down. Iran has not been rendered unable to contest US air operations.Source: DefenseScoop, thedefensenews.com

Which companies won the US Air Force autonomous drone contract?

Anduril (FQ-44A) and General Atomics (FQ-42A) won the first funded CCA production contracts on 17 June 2026. Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman all competed and were not selected.Source: Lowdown drones-industry-defence update 13

What has the US Air Force done in the Iran conflict?

The USAF is the primary strike Arm of Operation Epic Fury, launched 28 February 2026. It fired more than 1,000 JASSM-ER Cruise Missiles in the first four weeks, deployed B-52s on overland strikes inside Iran for the first time, and lost four aircraft including two F-15Es and two A-10s.Source: Lowdown iran-conflict-2026

Why did the Air Force exclude Boeing and Lockheed from the CCA contract?

The Air Force chose not to award CCA production contracts to Boeing, Lockheed Martin, or Northrop Grumman, opting instead for Anduril and General Atomics. The decision signals the Air Force's view that building autonomous combat aircraft at under $30 million each requires a different industrial model to the one that produced the F-35.Source: Lowdown drones-industry-defence update 13

What is the JASSM-ER missile and why is the stockpile running low?

The JASSM-ER (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, Extended Range) is the US Air Force's primary long-range cruise missile. Operation Epic Fury has consumed an estimated 2.5 years of planned production each month, stripping Pacific Command of its main deterrence capability against China.Source: Lowdown iran-conflict-2026

When did the US suffer its first combat deaths in the Iran war?

CENTCOM announced on 18 July 2026 that two American service members were killed, one was missing and four were medically evacuated after an Iranian Ballistic missile and drone attack on Muwaffaq Salti (Azraq) Air Base in Jordan on 17 July, the first US combat deaths of the war.Source: Lowdown

How the World Sees Them

Iran

Claims its air defences remain intact and have downed multiple US aircraft, presenting each loss as proof the Epic Fury campaign has stalled.

China

Closely monitors the JASSM-ER drawdown, which has stripped Pacific Command of its primary deterrence munition, and the CCA award, which signals the pace of US autonomous combat development.

Gulf states

Host US Air Force assets at Prince Sultan and Al Udeid but face Iranian retaliation against their own infrastructure as a consequence of those basing arrangements.

US military

The CCA production award represents an industrial-policy bet that the next generation of US air power will be cheaper, more attritable, and less dependent on the legacy prime contractors.