After an F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down over Iran, both the pilot and the weapons system officer ejected from the plane. The pilot was rescued hours later, but the weapons system officer remained missing.
US officials located the airman using a beacon he was holding, and Special Operations forces worked to extract him as Iranian state media advertised a reward for his capture.
Two days later, on April 5, the US sent C-130 planes and MH-6 Special Operations helicopters to rescue the downed weapons system officer while planting false intelligence to draw Iranian forces away from the area. The mission was jeopardized when the aircraft became stuck in the dirt, but replacement planes arrived in time, and the airman was rescued.
US bombers then blew up the aircraft that were left behind during the mission.
“WE GOT HIM!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on April 5 announcing the airman’s rescue.
The incident marked the first crewed combat aircraft loss over Iran.
