2026 United States F-15E rescue operation in Iran

Rare card · No. 50131

In early April 2026, a combat search and rescue (CSAR) operation was conducted by the United States Department of Defense to recover two crew members of a McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle of the 494th Fighter Squadron. The aircraft had been shot down over Iran by Iranian forces on 3 April 2026, during the 2026 Iran war. The pilot was rescued by U.S. forces seven hours after the crash. The operation involved hundreds of U.S. troops and dozens of aircraft. The weapon systems officer (WSO) escaped in the area of the Zagros Mountains, while the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), U.S. combat search and rescue personnel, and the local nomadic tribesmen worked to find him. The WSO was recovered by U.S. forces supported by 155 aircraft. A U.S. military official described it as "one of the most challenging and complex [missions] in the history of U.S. special operations." Iran claimed multiple aircraft shootdowns during the rescue operation. The U.S. claimed there had been a shootdown...

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