Various U.S. media outlets, citing official sources, have reported that the U.S. Armed Forces have rescued one of the crew members of the F-15E Strike Eagle shot down in Iran. Search and rescue operations are ongoing, with efforts focused on locating the second crew member of the American fighter-bomber.
Citing statements from two officials, CBS News was the first outlet to confirm that one of the crew members of the F-15E shot down in Iran had been rescued by U.S. Armed Forces. Combat search and rescue operations are still underway, with the objective of finding the second crew member of the aircraft.
For some time now, there has been a general idea of the operations being carried out by U.S. Armed Forces in southern Iran. Thanks to social media, a significant deployment of American aerial assets over Iranian territory has been observed, including M/HC-130J support aircraft, MH/HH-60 helicopters, A-10C Thunderbolt II attack aircraft, among others.
The U.S. presence has not gone unnoticed by local forces, which have opened fire on aircraft participating in the combat search and rescue mission. In this regard, the outlet Newsmax reported that a “…Black Hawk helicopter was hit while conducting rescue operations for the second F-15 crew member over Iran, but managed to exit Iranian territory and land without major incidents…”.
As seen in images and videos circulating on social media, U.S. Armed Forces have been forced to conduct the search and rescue operation in broad daylight, at times flying at low altitude and over populated areas. Under these conditions, the likelihood of encountering air defenses increases significantly, as personnel recovery operations are typically conducted under the cover of darkness or adverse weather conditions.
So far, there have been no reports of advanced Iranian air defense systems, such as anti-aircraft guns or man-portable missiles. However, U.S. aircraft have reportedly received small-arms fire from local populations, as seen in several videos.
What we know so far about the rescue operation
Following the initial reports of the F-15E shootdown, the first images of the wreckage have emerged, matching the characteristics of an F-15E Strike Eagle belonging to the 494th Fighter Squadron, based at RAF Lakenheath. One notable image shows an ACES II ejection seat, which would confirm the successful ejection of at least one crew member of the U.S. Air Force fighter-bomber.
As reported earlier, Black Hawk-family rescue helicopters are taking part in the operation. While the images are not entirely clear, they could be MH-60 helicopters from the U.S. Army’s 160th SOAR (the well-known “Night Stalkers”) or HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopters from the U.S. Air Force.
Supporting the helicopters, M/HC-130J aircraft have also been observed, both models designed for special operations, including personnel recovery. Some footage shows these aircraft refueling helicopters in flight. This initial rescue element is also supported by combat aircraft such as the A-10C Thunderbolt II, among others, as well as drones.
These are some of the assets that have been identified; however, it is expected that these aircraft are supported by the full range of U.S. Armed Forces airpower capabilities, including command and control aircraft, aerial refueling platforms, electronic warfare assets, fifth-generation fighters, and additional fighter-bombers.
An A-10C crashes in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz
One of the latest developments is that an A-10C Thunderbolt II attack aircraft has crashed into the waters of the Strait of Hormuz. The New York Times reported that the Warthog’s pilot was rescued, citing two U.S. officials. There are currently no further details about the incident, but it is likely that the aircraft was involved in combat search and rescue operations for the F-15E crew.
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Cover image for illustrative purposes. Credits: US ANG – Airman Samir Harris
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