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:

A U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down over southwestern Iran, resulting in both airmen ejecting; the pilot was rescued the same day.
The second airman, the weapons officer, evaded capture by hiding in a mountain crevice and intermittently using a personal beacon, while also communicating Iranian troop locations to assist U.S. forces.
A complex U.S. rescue operation, involving a false report, airstrikes, and Navy SEALs, successfully retrieved the seriously wounded airman, though two U.S. C-130 transport aircraft were destroyed after becoming bogged down.

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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.