Key facts
- A US Air Force officer, Bravo, described "free-falling" after his F-15E jet was shot down over Iran.
- Bravo sustained a broken back, shoulder, and arm.
- The F-15E jet was shot down by a shoulder-fired missile.
- Alpha, another downed airman, was rescued within six hours.
- Bravo was rescued after 48 hours behind enemy lines.
- Two US aircraft worth $100 million each were destroyed during the rescue operation.
A US Air Force officer, identified by the pseudonym Bravo, has recounted the harrowing experience of his F-15E jet being shot down over Iran in April, describing "free-falling" with a damaged parachute and evading Iranian forces for 48 hours before his rescue. In his first interview since the incident, aired on CBS News' 60 Minutes, Bravo called his survival "a miracle" despite sustaining a broken back, shoulder, and arm. He estimated his impact speed upon landing was between 70 and 100 mph (113 to 161 km/h).
The other airman on the two-seat F-15E, identified as Alpha, declined to be interviewed but was rescued within six hours. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth described Alpha's rescue as involving intense fighting. The F-15E was reportedly downed by a $100,000 shoulder-fired missile.
During Bravo's rescue, over 90 US service members were deployed inside Iran, an operation that Central Command Admiral Brad Cooper noted was the first time in 46 years American forces had operated within the country. The extraction effort faced challenges, with planes and helicopters becoming stuck in desert sand, leading to the destruction of two aircraft valued at approximately $100 million each, as well as several "Little Bird" helicopters, to prevent their technology from being captured by Iran.
The incident occurred approximately five weeks into a war against Iran, initiated by the US and Israel. The ongoing conflict, now in its seventh month, has faced growing unpopularity in the US, partly due to rising energy prices. President Donald Trump has predicted the war would continue until at least the November 3 election day.