F-15E Weapons Officer Rescued in Dramatic Operation in Iran

Navy SEALs recover second crewman who aided airstrikes while hiding at 7,000 feet.

Meg Godlewski

Monday, April 06, 2026 at 12:57 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

A F-15E Strike Eagle [Credit: U.S. Air Force/Tech. Sgt. Matthew Plew]

Key Takeaways:

Two U.S. airmen ejected from an F-15E Strike Eagle after it was shot down over southwestern Iran; the pilot was rescued the same day.
The second airman, a weapons officer, was rescued after hiding and communicating Iranian troop locations to aid a U.S. Navy SEAL team.
The complex rescue operation involved a U.S. false report to buy time and the destruction of two U.S. C-130 transport aircraft that became stuck at a remote base.
Both airmen are expected to recover, marking the first U.S. military rescue behind enemy lines in over 20 years.

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A second U.S. airman has been rescued after ejecting from an F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft that came under enemy fire Friday over southwestern Iran. The two American Air Force personnel, a pilot and a weapons officer, became separated in the rugged and sparsely populated area after the shootdown, according to reports from the BBC and the Associated Press.

The pilot was rescued the same day.