- US evacuated pilot and airman after F-15E jet was shot down in Iran’s Isfahan province
- Rescue mission cost nearly $500 million and involved advanced aircraft and drones
- Two C-130 planes and two MH-6 helicopters were destroyed to protect technology
The US military has successfully evacuated a pilot and an airman from Iranian territory after an American F-15E Strike Eagle jet was shot down inside the Islamic Republic. The high-risk, multi-day US rescue mission, executed in the south of Iran's Isfahan province, is drawing attention not just for its precision but for its staggering cost, reaching close to $500 million.
US officials called the recovery effort one of the "most challenging" combat search-and-rescue missions due to the terrain, a hostile Iranian pursuit and post-recovery complications. The operation to extract downed pilots involved an array of advanced military assets, including A-10 Thunderbolt II jets, MC-130J Commando II planes, Black Hawk helicopters, and MQ-9 Reaper drones, many of which were destroyed during the mission.
The US Mission
On Friday, Iran claimed that its defence forces shot down an F-15E Strike Eagle, an all-weather jet designed for air-to-ground and air-to-air missions that cost roughly $100 million. Two crew members -- a pilot and a weapons-system officer in the back, responsible for selecting targets and making sure the weapons are properly calibrated to targets--were on board the jet when it was downed.
The pilot was rescued soon after, but the second airman, whom Trump described as a "highly respected Colonel", had to spend more than 24 hours evading capture in the mountainous region.
Soon, C-130 Hercules aircraft and H-60 helicopters entered Iranian airspace carrying elite troops to the location where the US officials were believed to be. Surveillance drones pick up his signal deep inside Iranian territory. They confirmed his position and mapped threats around him.
An elite ground op team was then inserted under the cover of darkness. US forces reportedly used bombs and cover fire to keep Iranian troops away from where the injured airman was believed to be hiding.
MQ-9 Reaper drones were also used to protect the rescue crew member by striking Iranian military-aged males thought to be a threat who were within 3km of the airman, a person familiar with the operation told Air & Space Forces Magazine.
But as they were leaving, at least two of their Lockheed Martin C-130 -- likely the MC-130J Commando II variant, each valued at over $100 million -- were rendered inoperational due to possible technical malfunctions. To prevent sensitive technology from falling into adversary hands, US forces destroyed two C-130 cargo planes during the mission. Evidence also indicates that at least two MH-6 Little Bird helicopters, each valued around $7.5 million, were scuttled at a forward base.
The Iranian military claimed they also downed a few MQ-9 Reaper drones -- worth between $30 and $60 million apiece. The US has not confirmed the claim. Iranian media reported that an A-10 Thunderbolt II, also known as the "Warthog", sustained damage during the mission to locate the missing crew member. The US has not confirmed that the $20 million aircraft, which later crashed after entering Kuwaiti airspace, was part of the same mission, though the pilot ejected safely.
The Economic Impact Of War
While the US military is spending millions of dollars on war, Americans have started feeling the impact of escalation, with Amazon announcing a fuel surcharge for its e-commerce deliveries and some airlines hiking fees for checked-in baggage to offset higher fuel costs.
Trump on Sunday threatened to destroy Iran's civilian infrastructure if Tehran does not bow to his demand to reopen the Gulf to shipping by "Tuesday 8:00 PM" (0000 GMT Wednesday). In a stark, expletive-laden post, the president demanded, "Open the Fuckin' Strait, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in Hell."
Tehran's deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, responded to Trump's by saying that the US leader had "publicly threatened to commit war crimes" by menacing bridges and power plants.
Iran has all but blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a vital energy chokepoint, sending oil and gas prices soaring and pushing countries around the world to enact measures to contain the fallout
