A second American warplane is suspected to have been hit by Iranian fire, leading the pilot to safely eject before the plane crashed in Kuwait, according to two US officials. The aircraft, an A-10 Thunderbolt II also known as the Warthog, went down near the Persian Gulf around the same time an F-15 was shot down over Iran on Friday. The pilot of the A-10 was rescued by US forces, although details surrounding the crash remain undisclosed.
Earlier on the same day, US officials confirmed the downing of an F-15E Strike Eagle, a two-person aircraft from the Air Force’s 494th squadron stationed at RAF Lakenheath, over southern Iran. Iran claimed responsibility for the incident, releasing images of debris allegedly from the jet.
A US official informed NBC News that the A-10 was hit by Iranian fire while assisting in the search and rescue operation for the downed F-15. The A-10 managed to reach Kuwaiti airspace, where the pilot safely ejected before the plane went down.
Iranian state TV reported that the A-10 was shot down by the Army Air Defence Force’s defense systems and crashed in the Persian Gulf in southern Iran, as documented by the Iranian Army.
According to two US officials speaking to CBS News, one of the F-15 crew members has been rescued by American forces, while the status of the second crew member remains unknown. Efforts are ongoing to locate the missing crew member, as shown in a video circulating on social media verified by BBC News.
Authorities in Iran’s southern Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province emphasized the importance of capturing the crew of the downed jet alive, with commendation promised for those who manage to do so. In a separate development, traders in the region have reportedly offered a reward of 10 billion tomans (approximately £50,000) for capturing the American pilot.
US Central Command, responsible for military operations in the Middle East, has refrained from commenting on the incidents involving the two US Air Force planes.
