The F-15E Weapons System Officer (WSO), missing since his plane was shot down on Friday, has been rescued after a very risky combat search and rescue operation and fierce firefight in southern Iran. The pilot had already been retrieved during the rescue operation in which two HH-60H Jolly Green II combat search and rescue (CSAR) helicopters were reportedly damaged by incoming fire, injuring several troops.
President Trump took to Truth Social confirming multiple reports that the WSO was safely in American hands.
WE GOT HIM! My fellow Americans, over the past several hours, the United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History, for one of our incredible Crew Member Officers, who also happens to be a highly respected Colonel, and who I am thrilled to let you know is now SAFE and SOUND! This brave Warrior was behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran, being hunted down by our enemies, who were getting closer and closer by the hour, but was never truly alone because his Commander in Chief, Secretary of War, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and fellow Warfighters were monitoring his location 24 hours a day, and diligently planning for his rescue. At my direction, the U.S. Military sent dozens of aircraft, armed with the most lethal weapons in the World, to retrieve him. He sustained injuries, but he will be just fine. This miraculous Search and Rescue Operation comes in addition to a successful rescue of another brave Pilot, yesterday, which we did not confirm, because we did not want to jeopardize our second rescue operation. This is the first time in military memory that two U.S. Pilots have been rescued, separately, deep in Enemy Territory. WE WILL NEVER LEAVE AN AMERICAN WARFIGHTER BEHIND! The fact that we were able to pull off both of these operations, without a SINGLE American killed, or even wounded, just proves once again, that we have achieved overwhelming Air Dominance and Superiority over the Iranian skies. This is a moment that ALL Americans, Republican, Democrat, and everyone else, should be proud of and united around. We truly have the best, most professional, and lethal Military in the History of the World. GOD BLESS AMERICA, GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS, AND HAPPY EASTER TO ALL!
“U.S. special forces rescued the second crew member of the F-15 fighter jet that was shot down over Iran,” Axios reported prior to Trump’s posting, citing three U.S. officials. “Saturday’s operation was conducted by a specialized commando unit with a high volume of air cover…the U.S. forces unleashed a hail of heavy fire, and that all of the forces were now out of Iran.”
Videos emerged from the scene showing what appears to be missile strikes, with the sounds of gunfire and explosions being heard.
Another video purports to show Iranian citizens in the area, searching for the pilot. Tehran has offered a large reward for the WSO’s capture. Seizing the airman, or killing them, would have provided an enormous public relations windfall for Tehran and embarrassment for Washington.
Earlier Saturday evening, the Instagram account for U.S. Air Force Special Warfare Recruiting said the WSO was rescued.
“BREAKING: The missing F-15E weapons systems officer that was shot down in Iran yesterday was recovered alive by American Special Operations with Air Force Special Warfare attachments inside contested enemy area in Iran.
Special operators willingly put their lives on the line to rescue the fallen, engaged in a ‘massive firefight’ at the extraction site, and fought with all they had ‘so that others may live.’
What a win for America, and the WSO who paid attention in SERE training. What a win for the Air Force Special Warfare community. If you are looking to join America’s best and bravest that bring our fellow Americans home on their worst days, contact your local Air Force Recruiter today!
F-15 WSO recovered alive. Was escaping and evading. Massive fire fight on tgt. Iranians were actively looking for him in the area.”
In addition, journalist and former Green Beret Jack Murphy stated on X that they were rescued before reports began to hit online.
Since the shootdown, the U.S. has deployed a rescue packages including fighters for top cover, the HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopters and HC-130J Combat King CSAR planes, surveillance jets and drones, among many other assets. You can read more about what goes into a CSAR package in our previous reporting here. As the U.S. search continued Saturday for the WSO, a large firefight reportedly broke out in the southern area of Iran near where the crash took place.
As we have frequently noted, CSAR operations are among the most dangerous and complex missions U.S. troops perform, penetrating into potentially highly defended territory where, in this case, one of America’s most capable combat aircraft did not survive. All this is taking place with the Iranians on the highest alert and very active with their own hunt for the WSO. The fact that the operation was launched in broad daylight soon after the F-15E went down shows the stunning amount of risk U.S. personnel took on in order to save one of their own.
After the crash, videos emerged of the rescue efforts.
One showed a Combat King flying low over the Iranian countryside.
A rescue helicopter can be seen coming under Iranian fire in the following video.
You can see a Combat King trailed by two Jolly Green IIs in this next video.
In addition to the F-15E that was shot down and the two rescue helicopters damaged by Iranian fire, an A-10C Thunderbolt II close support jet crashed after being hit, with the pilot bailing out. Another A-10 may have been damaged during the search effort as well.
The reality is that this was one of the most daring combined arms operations in years and the whole story as to how it all went down successfully is sure to be of huge interest in the coming days and weeks. As always with this type of operation and the initial reporting surrounding, details are bound to change as a clearer picture of what happened and what didn’t happen comes to light.
UPDATE: 12:57 AM EDT—
NYT reports that the operation involved landing multiple transport aircraft inside enemy territory. Two of the aircraft (likely MC-130Js) got stuck at the forward airfield and three more aircraft had to come and pickup the U.S. forces now stranded there. The aircraft were demolished in place in order for them not to fall into enemy hands.
So this went far beyond a heliborne rescue operation and according to the report, fixed-wing aircraft landed in enemy territory that was hot with activity. Of course, there are shades of the disastrous Operation Eagle Claw here, but this time, the end result was very different.
Iranian semi-state media has posted an image that appears to show two C-130s on the ground and another that shows a thick plume of black smoke at their location.
This appears to have been a stunning display of USAF/special operations joint forcible entry capability.
UPDATE: 1:47AM EDT—
There are reports that the CIA used highly unique capabilities to locate the WSO and executed an elaborate ‘deception campaign’ targeting Iranian forces in order to allow U.S. aircraft to make it to their forward location to execute the rescue.
Jennifer Griffin writes:
According to a senior administration official: Prior to locating the WSO (Weapons System Officer) and the US military’s daring rescue, the CIA first launched a deception campaign spreading word inside Iran that U.S. forces had already found him and were moving him on the ground for exfiltration out of the country. While the Iranians were confused and uncertain of what was happening, the Agency used its unique, exquisite capabilities to search for — and find — the American airman. This was the ultimate “needle in a haystack,” but in this case it was a brave American soul inside a mountain crevice, invisible but for CIA’s capabilities. The CIA immediately shared the WSO’s exact location with the Pentagon and The White House. The President ordered an immediate rescue mission, which CENTCOM executed with boldness and precision, with CIA continuing to provide real time information.
UPDATE: 5:52 AM EDT—
We are now getting images from the landing site, which include burned out MH-6/AH-6 Little Bird helicopters. Read our new report here.
The landing site was just south of Isfahan:
Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com