04.04.2026 13:32
The last two planes shot down by the U.S. in Iran were the first aircraft that this country lost in a conflict after 23 years.
US media and Iranian media reported yesterday that two US planes had crashed.
The Iranian army, which announced that a fighter jet was shot down early yesterday morning, shared images of the wreckage. Subsequently, US media reported that a US F-15 fighter jet was shot down, with one of the pilots rescued and search and rescue operations ongoing for the other.
Following this, American media shared that a second US fighter jet (A-10) was shot down near the Strait of Hormuz at the same time as the F-15. Reports indicated that the pilot directed the aircraft towards Kuwaiti airspace and ejected to safety.
FIRST AIRCRAFT LOSS IN 23 YEARS
According to reports in the American press, the mentioned aircraft are the first that the US has lost in combat after 23 years.
Houston Cantwell, a retired former F-16 pilot from the US Air Force, speaking to the Associated Press (AP), reminded that the last time the US lost an A-10 Thunderbolt aircraft was during the Iraq invasion in 2003.
US LOST 7 AIRCRAFT IN ATTACKS ON IRAN
On the other hand, with the two mentioned aircraft, the number of aircraft known to have been lost by the US in attacks on Iran has risen to 7.
The US suffered its first loss on March 2 during the attacks it began on February 28. Three F-15s belonging to the US crashed due to "friendly fire" from Kuwait. All 6 pilots on board were rescued.
On March 12, a KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in Iraq. The US administration stated that this aircraft did not crash due to friendly or enemy fire, and that the incident was an accident. All 6 crew members on board lost their lives.
The US E-3 Sentry aircraft, on the other hand, was damaged on the runway at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia due to an Iranian attack on March 27. In the incident, 10 US soldiers were injured.
THERE ARE EXAMPLES OF US SOLDIERS SURVIVING FROM CRASHED AIRCRAFT
On the other hand, after US soldiers survived from the crashed aircraft yesterday, similar incidents came to mind.
According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, in 2011, when an F-15E type US fighter jet crashed in Libya due to mechanical issues, the pilot ejected and survived.
Additionally, during the 1999 Kosovo War and the 1991 Gulf War, pilots ejected and saved themselves from downed US aircraft.