(Tehran, 4th) Iran announced on the 3rd that it had shot down a US military fighter jet and an attack aircraft successively. In addition, two US military helicopters involved in the search and rescue operation were hit by Iran, injuring crew members.
The United States confirmed that the US military had rescued one fighter pilot and is searching for another. According to US media reports, the attack aircraft has crashed and its pilot has been rescued.
Earlier that day, a US Air Force F-15E "Strike Eagle" twin-seat fighter jet was shot down over Iran. Israel's public broadcaster reported that Israel provided intelligence to the US to help locate the pilot, and the fighter jet was shot down in Iran's western province of Khuzestan, bordering Iraq.
Gulf state media reported that at least two US military HH-60 "Pave Hawk" rescue helicopters, one HC-130J "Combat King II" long-range search and rescue aircraft refueling the former, and one MQ-9 "Reaper" drone entered Iranian territory to carry out the rescue and found and rescued one pilot who had ejected. The whereabouts of the other pilot are unknown, and the search is ongoing.
CBS News, citing US officials, also reported that two helicopters, including the one carrying the rescued pilot, were subjected to small arms fire from the Iranian ground forces while returning, causing minor injuries to several crew members. Both helicopters ultimately landed safely.
The Iranian military said that Iranian air defense also shot down a US A-10 "Warthog" attack aircraft in the airspace near the Strait of Hormuz that day. According to US media, this single-seat aircraft was providing support for the above-mentioned rescue operation when it was hit. The pilot flew the damaged aircraft to Kuwaiti airspace, ejected, and the plane crashed.
The US lost two aircraft in a single day, less than 48 hours after President Trump declared in a nationally televised address that the military operation against Iran had achieved a “rapid, decisive, and overwhelming victory.”