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F-15Es shot down in Kuwait
U.S. Central Command said three U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle jets were mistakenly shot down over Kuwait in an apparent friendly‑fire incident.
“Three U.S. F-15s were mistakenly shot down over Kuwait by Kuwaiti air defenses, CENTCOM said Monday. All six aircrew ejected safely, were recovered and are in stable condition.”
CENTCOM said all six aircrew ejected and were recovered in stable condition.
CENTCOM described the losses as occurring during active combat and thanked Kuwaiti forces for their cooperation.
Independent outlets and social media widely circulated video of at least one jet descending in flames and a pilot ejecting.
The U.S. Pentagon and multiple news organizations framed the event as an accidental shootdown by Kuwaiti air‑defence systems and said an investigation is under way.
Operation Epic Fury overview
The shootdowns occurred amid a larger campaign labeled Operation Epic Fury.
During that campaign, U.S. and Israeli forces were engaging Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles and drones, and CENTCOM and multiple press reports stressed the airspace was highly contested and layered with intercepts and launches.
Sources noted the jets were operating during heavy regional exchanges that included missile and drone barrages from Iran, complicating identification and control of aerial targets.
Reports on aircraft crashes
Video and open‑source posts played a large role in early reporting, with CNN credited with geolocating footage that appears to show a fighter jet consistent with an F-15E crashing roughly 10 km from Ali Al Salem Air Base, and local social posts showing pilots parachuting and later being assisted on the ground.
“Independent reporting by CNN geolocated video that appears to show a fighter jet—consistent with an F-15E—crashing and a pilot ejecting roughly 10 km from the U.S. Ali Al Salem base.”
Kuwait’s Defence Ministry acknowledged that several U.S. warplanes crashed, said crews survived, and said search‑and‑rescue and joint technical measures with U.S. forces were activated while an inquiry proceeds.
Conflicting shootdown accounts
Accounts diverge: Iranian state outlets and allied channels claimed they shot down U.S. jets as part of retaliatory strikes.
U.S. and Kuwaiti officials described the event as an apparent friendly‑fire incident by Kuwaiti air defenses.
Several international outlets warned that some operational claims, such as direct Iranian responsibility for the downings, were unverified.
Reporting emphasized investigators had not yet concluded whether the cause was friendly fire, an Iranian strike, or a technical failure.
U.S. casualties and responses
The incident added to a wave of regional costs.
“Separately, Iranian strikes on Camp Arifjan in Kuwait killed three US service members and seriously wounded five others; several additional personnel suffered minor injuries and parts of the base were damaged.”
CENTCOM and multiple outlets reported U.S. service-member casualties in the campaign.
Some accounts said Iranian strikes on Camp Arifjan in Kuwait killed three U.S. soldiers and wounded others.
Authorities said investigations and coordination with Kuwaiti and coalition partners would continue.
The broader operation strains air-defence inventories and regional response options.