More than a dozen Israeli Air Force drones have been shot down over Iran amid the current war, according to military officials.
An exact number is not given, but the officials say fewer than 20 unmanned aerial vehicles have been lost.
The military says its policy during the war is that loss of unmanned aircraft is acceptable for the purpose of thwarting ballistic missile attacks on Israel’s home front.
For that reason, the IAF has been sending cheaper UAVs for riskier strike missions in Iran, knowing that they are likely to be shot down. In at least one case, one of these cheaper drones actually made it back to Israel, according to military officials.
No Israeli fighter jets have been shot down, though pilots have come under anti-aircraft missile fire numerous times. In one case, the military said a fighter pilot was “close to being hit.”
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Friday, March 20, 2026
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
