Overview
- An F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down over southwestern Iran, and U.S. forces recovered both airmen using a layered combat search and rescue plan.
- One crew member was extracted in a hot pickup soon after the crash, while the other evaded for many hours in high mountains using a survival kit, a locator beacon, and secure radio.
- Air Force Pararescuemen, known as Guardian Angels, authenticated the survivor, treated injuries in the field, and worked with HH-60 rescue helicopters and fixed-wing cover to get him out.
- SERE training—short for survival, evasion, resistance, and escape—teaches skills like night movement, concealment, and coded signaling that help pilots stay hidden and guide rescuers in.
- Some outlets cite SEAL and CIA roles, damage to MC-130J aircraft, and outside intelligence support, but those operational details are not independently confirmed.