OSINTWarfare, a social media account specializing in open-source intelligence data collection, reported on 5/4 that a US C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, involved in a search and rescue operation in southwest Iran, became stuck and immobile. The aircraft was subsequently abandoned and destroyed by Delta Force.

The account posted an accompanying photo showing a column of black smoke rising from an open area against a backdrop of hills and mountains.

Jack Murphy, co-founder of the US national security news site The High Side, identified the incident location as "a forward arming and refueling point (FARP)" where the C-130's wheels got stuck in the sand. Murphy noted on X, "A Delta special forces team was forced to go in and destroy it on site. The entire operation was extremely risky, but they still completed it."

The US Department of Defense has not commented on the information.

Meanwhile, Iranian news agency Fars News reported that when the US launched the rescue operation, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Law Enforcement Force (FARAJA) "coordinated an attack, destroying an enemy aircraft, causing Washington another humiliating defeat."

An image believed to be a US C-130 Hercules destroyed during an F-15 pilot rescue operation in southwest Iran. *Photo: X/OSINTWarfare*

The US announced today that its forces successfully rescued the remaining pilot from an F-15 fighter jet previously shot down in Iran. This complex rescue operation occurred on the night of 4/4, mobilizing dozens of fighter jets, helicopters, along with cyber intelligence, space capabilities, and various reconnaissance assets.

A US military official informed the New York Times that after the pilot's rescue, two transport aircraft, intended for evacuating special forces and the pilot, became stranded at a remote Iranian base.

Commanders then decided to deploy three additional aircraft to extract all US soldiers and the pilot. Concurrently, they destroyed the two disabled aircraft to prevent them from falling into Iranian hands.

An HC-130J Combat King transport aircraft at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, US in 8/2017. *Photo: USAF*

The C-130 Hercules is a transport aircraft developed by Lockheed Corporation based on the Fairchild C-123 Provider, entering service with the US Air Force in 1956. It is a critical asset for US military operations, valued for its logistical advantages, ability to operate on austere runways, and minimal complex support infrastructure requirements. The aircraft utilizes four turboprop engines for enhanced operational efficiency and transport capacity.

A C-130 transport aircraft has a crew of five, a range of 3,800 km, a maximum speed of 590 km/h, and a service ceiling of 10,000 m when empty or 7,000 m when fully loaded. It can carry up to 19 tons of cargo, 92 soldiers or 64 paratroopers, six cargo pallets, two to three Humvee armored vehicles, two M113 armored vehicles, or one CAESAR 155 mm self-propelled howitzer.

The US has consistently upgraded the C-130 series to adapt to evolving global operational demands. Among these, the HC-130J Combat King II variant, with a range exceeding 6,400 km, stands as the US Air Force's sole dedicated fixed-wing aircraft for personnel search and rescue missions. The production cost for an HC-130J in 2010 was 66 million USD, which is equivalent to over 98 million USD at current exchange rates.

Nhu Tam (According to USAF, AFP, Reuters)