A360
Key Takeaways✦ Atlas AI
01
U.S. F-15E jet downed by Iranian air defense.
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One crew member missing, one rescued.
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Rescue efforts faced additional attacks.
Atlas AI
A U.S. F-15E fighter jet was shot down over southern Iran on Friday, and a search is underway for one missing crew member. Iranian state media said Iran’s air defense system brought down the aircraft. U.S. forces rescued one pilot, while the weapons system officer remains unaccounted for.
During the search-and-rescue effort, a separate U.S. A-10 Warthog aircraft involved in the mission was also damaged, according to the report. Its pilot was safely rescued. The incident adds to the operational risks that can arise during combat search and rescue (CSAR), which the report described as highly complex and dangerous operations involving elite air force units.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) separately claimed that nomadic tribes shot down two Black Hawk helicopters participating in the rescue. The U.S. military has not confirmed that claim. Iranian state-affiliated IRNA news agency attributed the downing of both U.S. warplanes to new Iranian air defense systems.
The F-15E is described as a dual-role fighter aircraft built for both air-to-ground and air-to-air missions, and it typically flies with two crew members. In this case, one crew member has been recovered and the other remains missing. The U.S. Central Command has not yet commented on the incident.
Iran has reportedly offered rewards of approximately $66,100 for information leading to the capture of the missing airman. That reported offer underscores that the fate and location of the unaccounted-for crew member remains uncertain, while multiple claims around the rescue effort have not been independently confirmed in the information provided.
