US forces have “safely recovered” the aircrew of an F-15E fighter jet that was shot down by Iran during combat mission as part of Operation Epic Fury.
The aircraft, carrying two service members, was shot down in southern Iran on 2 April by what Iran describes as a “new air defence system”.
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One of the pilots was located and brought back seven hours after the incident with assistance from two US military helicopters, according to media reports.
The second member was rescued on 4 April.
Identities of the rescued members have not been disclosed by the officials.
US Central Command said: “On April 4, U.S. forces successfully completed the rescues of two American service members from Iran after their F-15E fighter jet was shot down April 2 during a combat mission.
“The service members were safely recovered during separate search and rescue missions.”
Iran’s IRNA News Agency reported on 4 April that, in addition to the downed F-15E fighter jet, Iranian defences had also damaged two HH-60W Jolly helicopters, and shot down one A-10 aircraft, one Wing Loong II drone, one MQ-9 Reaper drone in Shiraz, and one Lucas drone near Qeshm Island in the previous 24 hours.
These claims have not been verified or refuted by US authorities.
Built by Boeing, the F-15E Strike Eagle operates with a crew of two and is equipped for both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.
The dual-role aircraft features a navigation system using a laser gyro and a Global Positioning System (GPS), an APG-70 radar system, and dual Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220 or 229 engines.
According to information available on US Navy website, for air-to-ground missions, the F-15E can carry most weapons in the Air Force inventory. It also can be armed with AIM-9M Sidewinders or AIM-120 advanced medium range air-to-air missiles, or AMRAAM for the air-to-air role.
The “E” model also has an internally mounted 20mm gun that can carry up to 500 rounds.
According to information available on the US Navy website, the F-15E is capable of carrying a wide range of air-to-ground munitions used by the Air Force. For air-to-air operations, it can be equipped with AIM-9M Sidewinder or AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles.
The F-15E is also fitted with an internal 20mm gun, which holds up to 500 rounds.
Media reports linked the F-15E aircraft shot down in Iran to the 48th Fighter Wing of the US Air Force, which is based at Royal Air Force (RAF) Lakenheath in Suffolk, England.
