US-Iran tensions: A US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle was reportedly shot down over Iran. Following this, a combat search-and-rescue operation was launched, in which one crew member was rescued while the other is missing. This comes as regional tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate.
The F-15E is a two-seat multirole fighter with a pilot and a weapons systems officer. According to IANS, both crew members ejected from the aircraft. One of them was found alive, while efforts are underway to locate the second, whose status is unclear.
Iranian state media said the downing of the aircraft would mark the first time Tehran had shot down an American fighter jet since the conflict began over a month ago. Meanwhile, reports also indicate that Iranian forces were searching for the missing US service member in the area where the jet went down.
US Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft
In a separate incident the same day, a US Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft was also lost in the region. Its pilot was rescued safely, as per IANS, people familiar with the situation were quoted by local media outlets.
US jets hit by Iran
Initial US indications suggest both aircraft were hit by Iranian fire.
Meanwhile, Iran claimed it had downed an American fighter and circulated images purportedly showing wreckage of an F-15E.
Videos on social media, reportedly from southwestern Iran, showed US aircraft flying low, possibly conducting combat search-and-rescue (CSAR) missions.
However, the authenticity of those visuals could not be independently verified.
Rescue helicopter hit?
The US Air Force has CSAR teams in the region equipped with HC-130J Combat King II aircraft and HH-60 helicopters.
At least one rescue helicopter involved in the operation was hit by Iranian fire but managed to land, according to people familiar with the matter.
The incidents mark the first known combat loss of US crewed aircraft in the ongoing conflict.
US Air Force F-35
Earlier, a US Air Force F-35 pilot had “suffered shrapnel wounds” after damage to the aircraft during a mission over Iran on March 19; however, the jet was able to make an emergency landing.
Middle East tensions
On February 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing Iran’s then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians.
Iran responded by launching missile and drone attacks and targeting Israel and US assets in the Middle East.
(with IANS inputs)
