3 min readJun 3, 2026 02:47 PM IST
First published on: Jun 3, 2026 at 02:23 PM IST
A US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle pilot was shot down twice in 33 days during the early months of the Iran war — first by Kuwaiti friendly fire on March 1, then by an Iranian surface-to-air missile on 3 April — making the unnamed airman almost certainly the first US Air Force fixed-wing pilot to survive two combat shootdowns in the same conflict since the Vietnam War, CBS News reported.
The first incident: Kuwaiti friendly fire
In the opening days of the war, a Kuwaiti air defence system mistakenly targeted three US F-15E Strike Eagles operating over Kuwaiti airspace. The pilot in question was among six aircrew members who ejected safely from the downed jets. The incident marked one of the more startling cases of friendly fire in the conflict’s early phase.
Barely a month later, shot down again
Less than five weeks after surviving that incident, the same pilot was airborne again — this time on a combat mission over Iran. On April 3, the F-15E they were flying was struck by an Iranian surface-to-air missile, forcing a second ejection in as many months. According to CBS News, which had previously reported on the incident, the pilot sustained serious injuries but was rescued after several hours. The second crew member evaded capture for nearly two days before being brought to safety.
Joint chiefs chairman commends the crew
Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine, speaking at a White House briefing after both crew members had been recovered, did not mince words in his assessment of their conduct.
“The courage demonstrated by both the pilot and the weapons system officer while isolated and them evading the enemy cannot be overstated,” Caine said. “Their grit and warfighting tenacity is a direct result of the absolute trust they have in our rescue forces, their training, and their will to survive and return.”
Pentagon silent, experts stunned
The Pentagon directed queries to US Central Command, which declined to comment on the matter. Military analysts, however, were less guarded in their reaction.
Retired Air Force Lieutenant General David Deptula – Dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies and the principal attack planner for the air campaign during Operation Desert Storm – told CBS News the incident had few, if any, precedents in recent memory.
“It is a highly unusual coincidence,” Deptula said, adding that he could not recall a pilot being shot down in two separate incidents during the same campaign since possibly the Vietnam War.
“It’s like getting hit by lightning twice,” he said.
In the opening days of the war, a Kuwaiti air defence system mistakenly targeted three US F-15E Strike Eagles operating over Kuwaiti airspace. (File Photo) 
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