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Posted on 04/03/2026 12:00:32 PM PDT by MeanWestTexan
The Iranians managed to shoot down an American fighter jet today (Friday), when one of the two crew members on the plane was rescued and a search is underway for the other. This event, perhaps the biggest drama since the beginning of the war, took place this morning (Friday) in southwestern Iran. Plane F-15 who is on a mission is hit by Iranian anti-aircraft fire and crashes. The two crew members, the pilot and the navigator, manage to safely abandon the plane. The pilot was rescued, but the US fears the possibility of the navigator being captured.
Sources familiar with the matter say that the pilot is the one who first makes contact via encrypted walkie-talkie with the United States military. Following this, a special force goes out to locate him - and rescues him. The navigator makes contact a little later, and the search for him is still ongoing. A senior Israeli official said that Israel assisted and is still assisting the searches, both in intelligence and by canceling several attacks it planned to carry out in these areas and canceling them, so as not to endanger the crew members or interfere with the search.
This is the first time an American fighter jet has been shot down by Iranian anti-aircraft fire since the beginning of the war. This dramatic incident comes as US President Donald Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hesseth and senior US military officials have been telling the American public for two weeks that the US has absolute air superiority over Iran, that Iran's air defenses have been eliminated and destroyed. This incident today proves that they weren't exactly accurate and that their claims aren't exactly true.
This serious incident, which we do not yet know how it will end, is an incident that could change the entire course of the war. One of the greatest traumas of the United States is the hostage crisis at the American embassy in Tehran in 1979, and this event may remind many Americans of that event.
At this time, the search in Iran for the navigator is still ongoing, as we enter the hours of darkness, and perhaps this could actually help the search. The rescue was carried out under fire, both in daylight and in very complex weather of heavy haze and sandstorms. During the war, there were other American aircraft that were damaged, but managed to return and land safely.
During this event Israel assisted on one point. There was a very specific attack that had to be made, and Israel carried it out for the Americans. Beyond that, Israel did not intervene and let the Americans act themselves. Israel and the US understand that air superiority is not 100%. Air superiority is something you fight for every day.
Both Air Force intelligence and the Americans, in order to identify the movements of what remains of the Iranian anti-aircraft systems, are trying to ambush the planes, and this is a very big challenge. Even today, anti-aircraft batteries continued to be attacked, and even today there are cases in which planes are diverted from a mission because they realize there is a planned anti-aircraft ambush, and they don't want to take a risk.
During the day, there were also very large waves of attacks by the Israeli and American air forces on Iran, when sometimes we don't understand what's happening on the other side. Israel is already seeking to attack national infrastructure in Iran, and in the meantime the United States is stopping it.
We've seen one bridge attack so far, a partial attack on a gas facility, but there aren't any more big moves we'd like. There is now a discussion with the Americans about how to increase the pressure on the one hand, and on the other hand not enter into something that could ignite even more of a broader war than they want.
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Earlier reports indicated Israel was not part of the search & rescue.
The navigator makes contact a little later, and the search for him is still ongoing.
the US fears the possibility of the navigator being captured.
So according to this report:
* the WSO has been in contact.
* And it’s feared he was captured.
Pray he has not been captured those tribal muslims are truly animals.
If he is captured alive, you know the question the media will have for the President.
I was in a helo crew and always planned on swallowing my pistol in the event of likely capture.
It probably would be a better fate.
I was in a unit where the members did not want to be taken alive by the Russian GRU.
I’m praying for him to be rescued, just as Scott O’Grady was in Bosnia.
This is why we don't just go blast the whole area with A-10's or AC-130's like a few ignoramuses here were suggesting.
God please help this young man. I do have a question though about how the airspace was supposedly free and safe for our Airforce. So what happened? Obviously there was an underestimation of Iran’s defenses, and I’m not one to criticize our military’s expertise, but something slipped through the cracks. Still, it’s an incredible military success with so few of our brave soldiers lost.
I agree.
He was NOT captured, Iranian state media has been begging anyone who has him to turn him over for money so NO they dont have him, this was over 15 hours ago
I was a WSO. I didn’t plan on shooting myself if in danger of being captured by the Iraqi military, but I assumed I’d spend a few years in a shithole prison.
Never flew over Afghanistan, but I did a tour on the ground there. If about to be captured by the Afghans, I’d have shot myself.
Iran? Interesting question. I’m praying it won’t be an issue.
“I do have a question though about how the airspace was supposedly free and safe for our Airforce. So what happened?”
As noted in the article, you have to mow the grass.
You have air superiority, but you have to keep it superior every day.
I also don’t see anything but assumptions that this was a shoot down. My worst accident in a helicopter was not caused by gun fire, but it just breaking somewhere in the middle of Afghanistan.
Fortunately, I got a ride back on the skid of the guy behind me, and I was happy to do it, if very thirsty at the end.
Lots of things could have happened. An engine could have flung out a fan blade. Knew of a peacetime ejection for that. Hydraulics failure? Same. I watched a plane catch on fire while taking off due to the gas cap coming off the centerline tank. Turned the plane into an inferno and (happily) both crewmembers ejected safely - although the pilot only got one swing of the chute before hitting the ground!
An RF-4 had a flare get stuck, ignite others and damn near blew up in half as a result. Peacetime.
Whoever wrote this article is sympathetic to the lowlife Iranians.
I don’t see that, at all.
It’s written not as a statement of facts, but as an attempt to change the narrative.
I think what you may be seeing is my bad translation from Hebrew to English, and for which I apologize.
Doing the best I can do.
It doesn’t read that way in Hebrew.
I’m sure your translation is fine. Here’s the telltale section.
“President Donald Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hesseth and senior US military officials have been telling the American public for two weeks that the US has absolute air superiority over Iran, that Iran’s air defenses have been eliminated and destroyed.“
“This incident today proves that they weren’t exactly accurate and that their claims aren’t exactly true.”
“This serious incident, which we do not yet know how it will end, is an incident that could change the entire course of the war.”
Made in the heat of battle, and in the fog thereof, the below statements reflect the strategizing of an enemy of the United States.
“This incident today proves that they weren’t exactly accurate and that their claims aren’t exactly true.”
“This serious incident, which we do not yet know how it will end, is an incident that could change the entire course of the war.”
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