Iran War: US Jets Downed – Critical Vulnerability Exposed

U.S. forces have rescued one crew member from a fighter jet shot down over Iran, while another remains missing, multiple news outlets reported Friday. A separate U.S. aircraft was also hit near the Strait of Hormuz, but its pilot was safely rescued.

U.S. Fighter Jet Downed Over Iran

Iran claimed to have shot down an American fighter jet on Friday, releasing photos of apparent wreckage of an F-15E. The United States military has not immediately confirmed or denied the reports.

Initial reports from Iranian armed forces stated an F-35 was downed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ air defence system. However, images from the crash site suggest debris from an F-15E, identified by military site TWZ.com as belonging to the 494th Fighter Squadron at RAF Lakenheath in England.

The 494th Fighter Squadron is currently deployed to the U.S. Central Command for Operation Epic Fury. If the downed aircraft was an F-15E, it would have had two crew members on board.

According to two U.S. officials, one crew member has been rescued, while the search continues for the other.

Second U.S. Aircraft Hit Near Strait of Hormuz

A second U.S. combat plane, an A-10 Warthog, also went down near the Strait of Hormuz. The pilot of the A-10 was rescued safely, according to reports from the New York Times and Iranian state media.

If confirmed, the F-15E incident would mark the first time a U.S. fighter jet has been shot down in combat during the war with Iran since Operation Epic Fury began on February 28.

Images circulating online appear to show American aircraft, including helicopters, transport planes and drones, flying over Iran’s Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, approximately 500km southwest of Tehran and over 200km east of the Iraq border.

Unverified photos show a U.S. HC-130 search and rescue aircraft and HH-60G helicopter in flight. Open-source flight tracking data indicates a U.S. KC-46 aerial refuelling tanker loitered over the Persian Gulf for an extended period.

Iranian authorities have urged nomadic people and villagers in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province to cooperate with the military and local police in locating downed American pilots, offering a “precious prize” for their capture alive, AP reported.