A US F-15E fighter pilot ejected "two times in just over one month," with his aircraft shot down by Kuwait and Iran respectively, CBS News reported on 1/6, citing two informed sources.
The first ejection occurred on 2/3, when Kuwaiti forces mistakenly shot down three US F-15E fighter jets participating in an operation targeting Iran. Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees US military operations in the Middle East, confirmed that all six crew members from the three aircrews ejected safely.
Moment an F-15 fighter jet was hit by a missile over Kuwait. Video: Times of Israel, X/AMK Mapping
On 3/4, the same pilot again ejected from an F-15E fighter jet that was struck by a missile over Iran. The US military then launched a large-scale operation to rescue the aircrew; it remains unclear whether this pilot was among the first or later evacuees.
Both the Pentagon and CENTCOM declined to comment on the information.
"This is a highly unusual coincidence. It is like being struck by lightning two times," stated David Deptula, a former US Air Force major general. He added that no US pilot since the 1950s has been shot down two times in separate sorties within the same operation.
 |
US aircraft losses in the conflict with Iran. Graphic: War Zone
After the F-15E crashed in Iran, the front-seat pilot was evacuated immediately on 3/4. The weapon systems officer ascended a mountainside at an altitude of approximately 2,100 m to evade pursuit by Iranian militia and was rescued two days later.
An A-10 attack aircraft was also shot down by Iran while supporting search and rescue forces. US special operations units destroyed six aircraft, including two MC-130J transport aircraft and four helicopters, before departing to prevent them from falling into Iranian hands. Meanwhile, Iran claimed to have shot down two helicopters and one C-130 transport aircraft involved in the operation.
US President Donald Trump stated on 6/4 that Iran used a shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missile to target the F-15E; the projectile struck the engine, causing the fighter jet to crash immediately. CNN estimated that the US military sustained hundreds of millions USD in damages "for just one shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missile worth several thousand USD."
By Nguyen Tien (According to AFP, AP, CBS News)
