Vetted by NeuralPress's Multi-Agent Verifier for strict factual validity and event relevance. Our compliance engine cross-checks and filters search results to ensure zero false correlations or misleading content.
US Military Aircraft Incidents (March-April 2026)
Reported aircraft losses and incidents during Operation Epic Fury.
Primary Sources
US F-15E fighter jet downed by Iran, rescue operations underway
An F-15E Strike Eagle weapons load crew team attaches an AIM-120D to a pylon July 15, 2019, at Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Chris Thornbury) EDITOR’S NOTE 4/6/2026 at 10:56am ET: Over the weekend US special operations forces rescued the downed airman in Iran referenced in this story, which was published on Friday. WASHINGTON — An American F-15E fighter jet has been downed by Iranian forces while operating over the country, a US official confirmed to Breaking Defense. A search and rescue operation for its crew is underway, the official said. Videos posted online show a C-130 and two Black Hawk helicopters flying low in what observers say appears to be southwestern Iran, whose operations would seem consistent with a search-and-rescue mission. An F-15E flies with two crew, a pilot and weapon systems officer. Unconfirmed photos circulating on social media appeared to show the wreckage of a US Air Force F-15 aircraft, and Iranian media has claimed the government took the jet down and that a search is underway for the pilots. US Central Command (CENTCOM) did not immediately respond to Breaking Defense’s request for comment. The aircraft’s loss would be the first time a manned American jet was known to be downed over enemy territory during the war in Iran, dubbed Operation Epic Fury by the Pentagon. The US has lost 16 unmanned MQ-9 Reaper drones over the course of the conflict, CBS reported. The jet’s downing comes after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday claimed that an “increase in air superiority” has permitted large and relatively vulnerable B-52 Stratofortress bombers to conduct its first “overland missions” into Iran during the war. The fighter jet downed over Iran would be the fourth F-15E lost in Epic Fury. On March 1, three F-15Es were shot down over Kuwait in what CENTCOM called an “apparent friendly fire incident.” All six crew members involved in that incident ejected and were safely recovered. A US Air Force F-35 stealth fighter was also reportedly struck by Iranian ground fire March 19, but the pilot was able to safely land the aircraft despite shrapnel wounds. CENTCOM has not publicly confirmed that incident. Two American KC-135 Stratotanker air refueling aircraft were also separately involved in a March 12 accident over Iraq. One tanker crashed, killing six crew members aboard. The other aircraft landed safely. CENTCOM said that the event was not due to enemy fire. In a nationwide ...
F-15E Downed over Iran, A-10 Crashes in Region - Air Force Magazine
Editor’s Note: This story was updated April 5 after the rescues of both F-15E crew members. A U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down over Iran, sparking a massive combat search and rescue effort April 3, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine. Both crew members ejected from the aircraft. One crew member was rescued April 3 and is alive, U.S. officials said. The second crew member was recovered alive April 5 in a a dramatic nighttime rescue mission by American forces that involved dozens of aircraft. The F-15E, which is a multirole fighter, has a pilot and a weapons systems officer. Meanwhile, a U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft was also lost in the Persian Gulf region April 3, and its pilot was rescued and is alive, according to people familiar with the matter. Initial U.S. indications suggest the F-15E and A-10 were both hit by Iran. Iran claimed to have downed a U.S. fighter overnight and posted photos purportedly showing the jet’s wreckage. Those photos, circulated by Iranian media, appear to show wreckage from an F-15E, but they could not be immediately authenticated. U.S. Central Command and the Pentagon did not respond to requests for comment. Videos on social media, purportedly taken in southwestern and central Iran, show U.S. aircraft flying low to conduct combat search-and-rescue (CSAR) operations. The U.S. Air Force has CSAR teams deployed to the Middle East equipped with HC-130J Combat King II planes and HH-60 helicopters. At least one rescue helicopter involved in the operation was hit with Iranian fire, but managed to land, people familiar with the matter said. This is the first known combat loss of U.S. crewed aircraft during the conflict. A U.S. Air Force F-35 pilot suffered shrapnel wounds after their aircraft was damaged by hostile fire during a combat mission over Iran on March 19, but the plane was able to make an emergency landing at a U.S. air base. Three USAF F-15Es were shot down in a friendly fire incident by Kuwaiti F/A-18 aircraft on March 2, with all six crew members ejecting safely. And a KC-135 tanker crashed in western Iraq after a midair collision with another KC-135, resulting in the deaths of six Airmen. “High-end combat against a capable, integrated air defense system is never risk-free,” said retired Lt. Gen. David A. Deptula, dean of AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. “What distinguishes modern Western airpower is not invulnerability, but the abi...
The F-15E Strike Eagle: What to Know - The New York Times
The U.S. military aircraft shot down in Iran on Friday has been identified as an F-15E Strike Eagle. The fighter jet uses a two-member crew, a pilot and a weapons systems officer, according to the ...
How Iran SHOT DOWN an F-15E Strike Eagle Over the Strait of Hormuz
On April 3, 2026, an American F-15E Strike Eagle from the 494th Fighter Squadron — the legendary Panthers of the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath — was shot down over southwestern Iran, marking the first manned U.S. fighter jet confirmed downed by enemy fire since Operation Epic Fury began ...
