Several US officials confirmed to media outlets that an F-15E fighter jet was shot down over Iran and search-and-rescue operations were launched. One of the two crew members on the plane who ejected after the hit, was rescued. There is no update on the other one at the time of writing this story. With the jet going down, Washington has only added to the massive costs incurred during the Iran war.
Meanwhile, Iranian officials called on civilians for information on the whereabouts of the pilots, even announcing a reward. The country’s state-run media also shared several images that purport to show wreckage from the aircraft.
At least 13 US military service members have been killed in the conflict and more than 300 have been wounded, according to the USCentral Command (CENTCOM). No US troops have been taken prisoner by Iran.
How much does an F-15 jet cost?
The Wall Street Journal cited the US Air Force fact sheet to previously report that the F-15E Strike Eagle model costs at least costs $31.1 million. The jet was introduced in the 1980s and designed to perform air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. The publication added that newer models cost close to $100 million.Operating costs for these jets are estimated between $18,800 and $27,000 per flight hour.
Trump’s big Iran claims
Meanwhile, President Trump on Thursday posted a video of a destroyed bridge and said there would be ‘much more to follow’ if Iran didn’t agree to a deal to end the almost five-week old conflict, which has caused a global energy crisis.
Iran remained defiant, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying strikes on civilian structures ‘will not compel Iranians to surrender’. The country has shown little sign of accepting Trump’s demands for peace and has laid out its own conditions, most of them unacceptable to the US and Israel.
“Our Military, the greatest and most powerful (by far!) anywhere in the World, hasn’t even started destroying what’s left in Iran. Bridges next, then Electric Power Plants! New Regime leadership knows what has to be done, and has to be done, FAST!” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday.
CNN reported that about half of Iran’s missile launchers are still intact, despite more than 12,000 US and Israeli strikes since they began the war in late February, and that thousands of one-way attack drones remain in Iran’s arsenal. The assessment may include launchers that are currently inaccessible even if they are not destroyed, CNN said, citing sources familiar with the matter.
(With Bloomberg inputs)
