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MQ-9 Reapers in Operation Epic Fury
CENTCOM and defense reporting place MQ-9 Reapers inside Operation Epic Fury as a persistent surveillance and strike-support platform, while open-source trackers note that the full number employed has not been publicly released.
MQ-9s in the campaign
Operation Epic Fury was launched by U.S. Central Command against Iran on February 28, 2026, and official CENTCOM materials list MQ-9 Reaper aircraft among the operation's imagery and broader force package. Reuters reporting on the wider strike campaign also described a mixed package of U.S. systems, including one-way attack drones and other major strike assets.
For this article, the MQ-9 angle is the persistent unmanned aircraft side of the campaign rather than the full strike package. The available sources support MQ-9 participation, but they do not provide a public accounting of every sortie or mission profile.
Sources: CENTCOM Epic Fury page, Reuters strike package report, CENTCOM Epic Fury fact sheet
Role and public reporting
CENTCOM's fact sheet for Operation Epic Fury lists U.S. assets employed against Iran and places MQ-9 Reapers within the same general operation alongside other air and missile systems. Air & Space Forces Magazine reported that Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach described the MQ-9 as the operation's standout platform and called it the 'most valuable player' of the Iran war.
That reporting is consistent with the MQ-9's documented mission set: the aircraft is used for intelligence collection, surveillance, and precision strike support, which fits the role described in the operation coverage.
Sources: CENTCOM Epic Fury fact sheet, Air & Space Forces MQ-9 report
What remains public
The Atlantic Council's tracker says the total number of MQ-9s used in Operation Epic Fury is not known publicly. It also notes that MQ-9s operate in rotating orbits and that open-source reporting has tracked losses, but those figures are not an official tally of campaign usage.
That makes the public record useful for identifying the MQ-9 as a major platform in the operation, while still leaving exact employment numbers, tempo, and mission-by-mission effects unresolved.
Sources: Atlantic Council tracker, Air & Space Forces MQ-9 report, CENTCOM Epic Fury page
