The US has rescued the missing crew member of the US F-15 fighter jet which was shot down on Friday over southern Iran.
US President Donald Trump confirmed the rescue on social media on Sunday morning after the US military “pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations” in its history. The officer is “now SAFE and SOUND!” he added.
Two crew members were on board the jet, and both ejected from the plane. One of them had already been rescued by US forces.
Iranian officials said the warplane was shot down by its air defence system.
Details around the rescue operation and how it unfolded are still emerging. Here is what we know so far.
The US and Iran were in a race to locate the missing crew member after the jet was downed over southern Iran.
The exact circumstances of the US rescue remain unclear, but one person familiar with the operation described it as a “huge” combat search and rescue mission in southern Iran.
The BBC understands there was an engagement between the US and Iranian forces during the rescue, and the pilot may have been injured during his initial ejection from the aircraft.
Also Read: Two die as Air Canada jet crash at LaGuardia airport
The rescue of crew members of a downed jet is one of the most complex and time-sensitive operations – known as combat search and rescue, CSAR, – that the US military and its allies prepare for.
The air force units behind CSAR missions include some of the most highly trained and specialised members of the military.
The missions are often conducted by helicopters, which fly low over enemy territory, alongside other military aircraft that conduct strikes and patrol the area.
The US and Iran were in a race to locate the missing crew member after the jet was downed over southern Iran.
The exact circumstances of the US rescue remain unclear, but one person familiar with the operation described it as a “huge” combat search and rescue mission in southern Iran.
The BBC understands there was an engagement between the US and Iranian forces during the rescue, and the pilot may have been injured during his initial ejection from the aircraft.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was said to have launched its own search for the missing American, reportedly using troops and locals, and offering them a reward of about $66,000 (£50,000) to capture him alive.
Videos on social media appeared to show hundreds of people heading to a mountainous area in south-western Iran to search for the missing US airman.
Details of the second airman being rescued emerged in US media late on Saturday night.
Tasnim, the semi-official news agency associated with the IRGC, said five Iranians were killed during the operation.
BBC
