NEW: Eight American fighters in the “81 aircraft lost or damaged” Iran-war tally were already back in service. The Congressional Research Service’s 5th October report includes 8 F-15s that reportedly suffered light damage in Jordan and returned to service. It also includes 3 F-15Es destroyed by friendly fire and 6 aircraft deliberately destroyed during rescue operations. You cannot read 81 as the number Iran shot down. Of the 81, 49 are drones. The largest entry is 45 MQ-9 Reapers, drawn from reporting citing unnamed US officials, without an individual breakdown of how each was lost. The damage remains consequential. The list includes 5 tankers reportedly hit on the ground in Saudi Arabia and an E-3 airborne radar aircraft damaged at the same base. CRS specifically asks whether losses involving scarce aircraft could create capability gaps elsewhere. The widely repeated $3.3 billion figure measures something different again. It is an earlier estimate for replacing lost equipment, including a missile-defence radar. The unresolved question is how much flying, refuelling and surveillance capacity remains unavailable, and how quickly it can be restored. The number 81 does not answer that.