The US lost at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones during the Iran conflict—25% of the entire fleet—at a replacement cost of up to $2.25 billion. Yet Air Force Chief Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach, in a stunning display of spin-doctoring, still calls the MQ-9 the “most valuable player” of the campaign.

“Most valuable” perhaps to Iranian air defense gunners, who have bagged these $50 million flying turkeys with alarming ease. Wilsbach praises the drone for not putting “folks at risk”—conveniently ignoring that the real folks at risk are the American taxpayers footing the bill for this incinerated hardware. He boasts about strike numbers while the MQ-9s get swatted from the sky like clumsy metal pigeons, proving that “MVP” in this war actually stands for “Most Vulnerable Platform.” When your “star player” gets shot down in double digits, maybe it’s time to bench the strategy, not hand out trophies.