[MEGATHREAD] U.S. Air Force F-15E downed over Iran, HC-130J Combat King II conducting SAR Mission
Posted by usgapg123@reddit | aviation | View on Reddit | 408 comments
Exact_Yogurt_7353@reddit
The mods on this subreddit r dogshit bro
usgapg123@reddit (OP)
Why do you say that?
This_Elk_1460@reddit
If you want people to stop talking about politics then you need to ban any coverage of this war whatsoever and that's going to piss a lot of people off. Wars (particularly this one) are inherently political and trying to take a centrist approach to that is quite frankly idiotic.
FMC_Speed@reddit
Especially with how all the comments are in the format us vs Them When in the beginning of the aggression no one I saw comment sympathetically towards the few Iranians planes shot down including the training jet, yet when it comes to American jets which are the aggressor state all the comment are basically cheering for them, the veil of “non political” comments is honestly not just hypocritical but also maliciously biased, I get it this sub is full of Americans and no one like to see their countrymen suffer but that should be towards all people in aviation as well otherwise just rename this subs name to US armed forces and drop the act
atomicskiracer@reddit
There’s plenty of allowed comments about politics in this thread. What are you even talking about?
usgapg123@reddit (OP)
Check the pinned post.
Violetstay@reddit
What is the purpose for derailing all political talk when aviation is highly political like it or not? Every other aviation forum turns into political discussion and no one cares. There’s always this sense that Reddit mods have to control the flow of information and can’t just let the community police itself. This isn’t your job, it doesn’t pay, you don’t have to take it so seriously.
RecoveringRocketeer@reddit
They all think you guys are political because they can’t be mean
Powerful_Committee18@reddit
One of the two pilots have been recovered and search for the other one is going on
Salt-Wish5140@reddit
Both recovered
Several_Hospital_129@reddit
Has there been any word on the second pilot, or are they still looking?
whats_a_quasar@reddit
At this point I think it is more likely that the second pilot was captured by Iran than he/she is still on the ground and hasn't been located.
Several_Hospital_129@reddit
That's my fear. The thought that this may turn into another black hawk down or Vietnam is making me sick.
lockheed2707@reddit
Desculpe, mas o Irã não fez nada que justificasse uma invasão e aquele piloto não estava alí para distribuir flores.
Infelizmente para a família, ele se colocou naquela situação pra defender os interesses comerciais de um pequeno grupo de pessoas.
pocahantaswarren@reddit
How do you like being an apologist for a terrorist regime who’s killed people around the world the last 45 years
lockheed2707@reddit
EUA financiou grupos fundamentalistas religiosos no Oriente Médio por décadas, alguns deles os mais violentos como o ISIS, financiou ditaduras na América Latina na segunda metade do século XX que resultaram em milhares de mortes e desaparecimentos e até hoje fomenta movimentos que buscam desestabilizar governos ao redor do mundo.
Isso tudo é documentado e o próprio EUA confirma algumas dessas ações.
Eu não ligo para o Irã, o regime iraniano é assassino e fere os direitos das mulheres e LGBTs, mas não atacaram os EUA em momento algum. A soberania norte-americana acaba na sua fronteira, não se estende a outros países.
pocahantaswarren@reddit
They sure as shit have attacked the US. During the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan they attacked us soldiers via ieds and roadside bombs through proxy militias they controlled.
lockheed2707@reddit
Grupos que em parte surgiram inicialmente com dinheiro e treinamento dos EUA lol.
Além de que, não é justificável, caso fosse assim, muitos países poderiam legitimamente declarar guerra aos EUA por conta de sua influência em grupos que atacaram os mesmos.
Além disso, porque foi declarado guerra ao Iraque se a Al Qaeda e o Bin Laden eram do Afeganistão? E mesmo o Afeganistão, porque foi declarado guerra ao país se quem realizou os ataques em NY foi um grupo terrorista e não o país em si? Grupo esse que foi um dos que surgiram com o apoio dos EUA, diga-se de passagem.
Vou lhe dar a resposta pra todas essas perguntas. A razão dessas guerras é uma: petróleo.
anonposter-42069@reddit
Still looking
twenty_three_three@reddit
There are claims that Iran is using Infrared tech, rather than radar, to target aircrafts.
https://www.twz.com/air/photos-of-f-15e-wreckage-emerge-amid-iranian-claims-it-shot-down-an-american-fighter
This presents a rather large dilemma for USAF. The IR tech could seriously compromise the air-superiority claims leveled by the president.
kremdog12@reddit
No shit. that's what an IR missile is. I bet 95% of all aircraft downings in the past 50 years have been from IR.
Kardinal@reddit
I think they're more referring to IRST rather than IR guidance. The ability to find and target aircraft based on infrared rather than radar. The Search part being the differentiator.
asmrhead@reddit
Gosh it's almost like the US would have developed and started deploying a long range air to air IRST pod back in 2022 or something?
https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2931186/legion-pod-reaches-ioc/
Kardinal@reddit
Not sure how this applies to what may have downed the F-15E.
We are discussing what the Iranians may have used. Not what may have been carried by the Strike Eagle.
kremdog12@reddit
Iran didnt use anything new. All of those videos look like a normal MANPAD like an igla (if they are even real). Why develop some brand new IRST SAM, then put a manpad sized warhead on it. Just shoot your manpad....
Az1234er@reddit
That seemed relatively obvious, it's not a new technology. but it's only possible because, as seen on the video, the planes are flying low.
It's really easy to avoid, you just need to fly above a specific altitude
It seems crazy that after the F35 got hit they persisted in doing low altitude flight. But they knew it was going to happen, they even had 2 serious warining encounter
kremdog12@reddit
Theres nothing in any of those videos or from iran that suggests they were actually targeted with IRST. if they're low, you can just shoot a manpad and watch it with a off the shelf FLIR. Considering the F35 supposedly shook off the hit, that all but confirms it was an igla.
Ok-Birthday4723@reddit
Wouldn’t cheap drones be a better use for this reason? Weird we have not developed an effective drone arm and our relying on our jets. Especially seeing what Ukraine has accomplished. What do I know though.
Kardinal@reddit
I absolutely promise that I'm not just being a meme here. This is a sober and reflective honest analysis of the situation.
I truly do not believe that anyone in a decision making capacity in any way related to this war or the military leadership of any major nation actually believes the rhetoric that is spoken from the president of the United States about the tactical or strategic situation in Iran. They probably don't believe much about the rhetoric coming out of the mouth of most heads of government, because they know that it's primarily for the consumption of their constituents. Who don't actually know or understand anything about the true tactics and strategy of war fighting. But in this particular case, they put even less credence in the statements of the incumbent of the American White House.
So I don't think it creates a significant dilemma for the United States Air Force, but rather it creates a significant dilemma for American political leadership. Although I suppose they will lean on the United States Air Force to solve their problem.
SpecialistPlastic729@reddit
CENTCOM has had some problems telling the truth when it comes to Iran. Maybe they are justifying this as an attempt to deny information to Iran. There are a lot of instances in the past where CENTCOM flat out lies (a damaged E-3 that was actually blown in half, 135 damage, emergency landings) and now this
Now if CENTOM says something I am skeptical
Enough-Animator9931@reddit
Apparently, he was going to Florida today. That plan got cancelled because of this
I don't think they're expecting good news, with this emergency meeting at the moment
Trump National Security Team assembles in the White House because of the downed jet search rescue
This_Elk_1460@reddit
Oh man is someone not going to be able to play golf today? Truly a tragedy!
procvar@reddit
He’ll make it up tomorrow, 36 holes
John97212@reddit
That's not golf...
Ok-Click-80085@reddit
all under 13
NoSwimmers45@reddit
He hasn’t been able to golf for a long time. Dude barely knows his name.
hoppertn@reddit
Bet he is super pissed he doesn’t get to go to Mara lardgo and play golf.
Enough-Animator9931@reddit
Still no signs of the WSO.
If he/she is already captured, how could the US know that they're getting false signals?
Because, in that case, the US would still be risking aircraft to be shutdown, for someone who is already captured.
OttSound@reddit
There were unconfirmed claims they were extracted already, and unconfirmed claims they were captured.
It's 4 a.m. there right now so it would be a difficult time to be playing hide-and-seek
Key-Cry-8570@reddit
This feels like a Where’s Waldo type of situation.
TangledPangolin@reddit
I think it's only a matter of time before the WSO is in IRGC custody, assuming he isn't already. The Iranians have posted pictures of his ejection seat, so he can't have gone very far by foot, considering he crashed in a desert area with no cover.
ballimi@reddit
Is the seat from the missing or rescued pilot?
Enough-Animator9931@reddit
I don't know if you can tell from the picture It was tired apart
TangledPangolin@reddit
I don't know if it's possible to tell from the picture
Solarises@reddit
Is there any info on what type of AD it was that shot down the aircraft?
SlavaCocaini@reddit
Yes, called Majid, it's a 4 shot Tor missile on a 4x4 with EO/thermal targeting.
Maleficent_Spot_7215@reddit
C300
HonkBlarghh@reddit
Source?
Tashre@reddit
So either Iran is not as completely impotent as the DOD claims, or the readiness status of the US military is so terrible that planes will fall out of the sky multiple times a day when even moderately taxed.
Way to back yourself into a corner, Pete. He’s probably the next one that’ll get thrown under the bus.
This_Elk_1460@reddit
The United States military has spent the last 30 years fighting insurgent groups, it's not designed to fight a country with an actual standing army and a missile defense system.
heyuBassgai@reddit
Sigh... We are. And are doing okay. Most of our casualties/airframe losses are due to tempo and a very busy airspace, possibly an intentional fragging incident from a Kuwaiti f18 which nobody seems to want to address. I hate what we are doing with regards to the war but only the mid air collision could be considered unexpected losses. Iran ain't Iraq. They have been preparing for this for a very long time. There is a lot of built up underground stuff and their people are fucking smart. It's a direct equivalent to the Ukrainian people that have killed and or injured nearly 500,000 Russian troops. Iranians are not chumps. You cannot bomb them into submission.
vogel927@reddit
I honestly can’t say that I’m surprised that this happened after Hegseth fired several generals.
best_of_badgers@reddit
The DOD (or at least Hegseth) seems to forget that Iran has engineers who can fix things. They also appear to think that our big explodey attacks atomize stuff, rather than simply breaking some of it.
This_Elk_1460@reddit
Or the fact that Iran is one of the most mountainous countries in the world and Iran has been preparing for this moment for 40 years.
Affectionate_Theory8@reddit
You never know whats behind.. maybe someone gave them a good AA platform. And by just that, you either make the US leave the war, or the opposite.
InterstellarReddit@reddit
F-15E, F-16 and A-10 all in one day, impressive.
dvcxfg@reddit
See above, but F-16 report is likely not a fighter jet, but a ballistic component
Ok_Geologist_448@reddit
I have seen a report that says both F15 crew members have been rescued.
Kardinal@reddit
The rhetoric around it makes me a little suspicious, but in the end, I hope it's true.
Ok_Geologist_448@reddit
Exactly. I hope it turns out to be true. It doesnt help with the amount of AI thats out there.
Kardinal@reddit
Honestly, I'm a little more concerned by the rah-rah jingoistic language at the end. You don't see that in objective and sober fact-based journalism.
Dry-Fold-9664@reddit
At the end of the day it is a war, who’s side are you on?
aviation-ModTeam@reddit
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nearlyepic@reddit
it must be really really pleasant to go through life being this fucking ignorant
atomicskiracer@reddit
The side that believes in truth, rather than dialect made to make stupid people feel good so they can pretend it’s all fine?
Ok_Geologist_448@reddit
Dude leave it for FB Groups... This page is about aviation.
Dry-Fold-9664@reddit
Say that to the guy who brought up politics. And guess what, a huge part of aviation is military aviation. You think we do this shit for our health lmfao.
OttSound@reddit
I'm on nobody's side, because nobody is on mine
Dry-Fold-9664@reddit
If you aren’t from the west that’s fine and understandable. If you’re American it’s reprehensible and if you’re from a western country other than American it’s just ignorant.
OttSound@reddit
freedom of association includes the right to not associate.
Dry-Fold-9664@reddit
Doesn’t mean it’s not reprehensible. Its like not giving a shit about our aircrews flying over normandy and being like ahh but I’m not on any side.
atomicskiracer@reddit
You posting this an excluding the source is telling
rkmvca@reddit
The 130 pilots as well as the UH-60 pilots deserve ALL the medals for going in low-and-slow where a fast mover was just blown out of the sky. I'm in awe.
AltrntivInDoomWorld@reddit
Why? They are meat. Replacable human units that mean nothing to the overseers.
officialshibe@reddit
Why? Because if they don’t go, their friends get tortured and used as propaganda until they die or boots hit the ground. The downed pilots mean something to the rescue pilots. Bravery and courage is just desperation and some people find desperation the act of saving another person’s life, that’s why they do the job. Their motto is; these things we do, that others may live.
Ataneruo@reddit
This is literally retarded. Have you ever met a search and rescue operative in your entire life? or even a civilian first responder?
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Malora_Sidewinder@reddit
That would require him to wipe the cheetoh dust off and step outside, we both know thats not something hes willing to do lightly
Soft_Walrus_3605@reddit
Please don't use this term
userhwon@reddit
Choosing to get fired is always an option.
orion1486@reddit
Totally agree! Do these 130s have those fuck-you A10 guns on them and flares at least?
fisherbait@reddit
The C-130s have chaff and flare countermeasures, but the search and rescue variants do not have the cannons and machine guns.
orion1486@reddit
Ah, got it. Not sure why I seemed to have started a downvote party with that question but I appreciate the info!
userhwon@reddit
Upthread someone said these C-130s have anti-missile IR-dazzling lasers as well.
GITS75@reddit
Naaah. It's a modified KC-130 used for in-flight refueling. That's not an AC-130 with a GAU, Bofors or howitzer..
orion1486@reddit
Thanks!
Can_Not_Double_Dutch@reddit
Air Medals for sure, most likely with a V device. Possibly a DFC if both pilot and WSO picked up.
Reddragon0585@reddit
Balls of steel
Ok-Operation-6432@reddit
Or maybe ovaries you never know
Kardinal@reddit
And in typical style, they'll say "I was just doing my job."
They always do. They're always right.
And they still deserve the medal.
Unable_Request@reddit
And without ejection seats
whats_a_quasar@reddit
Anyone have an opinion on why two different types of aircraft were shot down and/or crashed on the same day in different regions? Occam's razor is that it's just a coincidence. We don't have information yet on how the Warthog crashed, whether it was hostile fire or accidental (mechanical, pilot error, mid-air collision). So most likely they're unrelated. But at least hypothetically some change in Iranian air defense equipment or tactics could also account for the coincidence.
_-Event-Horizon-_@reddit
I agree it’s most likely a coincidence but hopefully Iran has managed to acquire some sort of effective e air defense.
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USCAV19D@reddit
Yeah, then they can keep stoning homosexuals and hanging victims of rape
Enough-Animator9931@reddit
It reminds me of a country that likes to use tax dollars stupid invasions on the other side of the world, when they know how to solve their own problems
They like to invade for oil, regime changes, colonialism and that stuff
_-Event-Horizon-_@reddit
Cut the crap. The USAF has so far one school and about a hundred kids on its score. Zero sympathies on my end if this turns out to be a more even fight than they anticipated.
And this war won’t change anything in Iran. Achieving a meaningful change will require ground operation, occupation and decades of nation building, which obviously won’t happen.
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hgwelz@reddit
Fog of war. The F15 was reportedly hit in northern Iran in Southern Tehran Province while the A10 went down near the Strait of Hormuz - 600 miles away - outside it's range to be taking part in the SAR.
"The BBC's US partner reports that an A-10 Warthog taking part in the search and rescue was hit, with the pilot ejecting over the Gulf, where he was rescued."
Where are the A10's based?
Kardinal@reddit
My first thought was to ask why an A-10 was participating in the search.
Taking five seconds to think about it...
Probably for close in escort duty and CAS for the actual CSAR craft.
pattern_altitude@reddit
CSAR is one of the A-10’s primary missions, alongside CAS and airborne forward air control. The lead A-10 is the on-scene commander for the entire rescue force.
Look up the SANDY mission set.
Kardinal@reddit
I just did. Thank you for that. Today I learned.
I'll go deeper now and learn some more.
blorgcumber@reddit
I think the F-15 going down was just a matter of time. As long as Iran has some air defences and they’re trying, they’ll eventually get lucky. For the A-10, I haven’t seen any confirmation as to whether it was involved in the rescue operation for the F-15. If it was, it would potentially be flying in a much more risky/vulnerable manner
Angrykitten41@reddit
The F-16 being shot down is not true. It's a ballistic missile booster. https://x.com/mohsin_o2/status/2040218483875848478?s=46&t=LGPjWXfzmYQLzwr-cunzZA
madman320@reddit
The scale seems way off for an F-16. Something doesn't look right.
OttSound@reddit
Source on Twitter also claims second pilot is captured in separate post, so grains of salt all around.
madman320@reddit
I'm aware th source is a pro-regime guy. Still, his points of analysis and comparisons seem to be correct. And also, the fact that a pro-regime guy admits the regime's propaganda is wrong in saying that an F-16 was shot down lends more credibility to it in my opinion.
VladimirsGs@reddit
I still don’t know what it is but this image says it could be an F-16 but I think the missile theory is also good so we have to wait for further updates
madman320@reddit
There's a closer photo of that part. To me, it looks more like the fins of the Ghadr/Emad missile than an F-16.
VladimirsGs@reddit
Yes looks quite similar would be interesting how it turns out
OttSound@reddit
What, then? It doesn't quite look like an MQ-9 either
madman320@reddit
I believe it might be a ballistic missile, judging by the size of the exhaust and the wreckage itself. I've seen other photos that have been published, but so far I haven't found any convincing evidence that it's an F-16 or any other fighter jet.
It might be a confusing perspective, but the size doesn't convince me it's a fighter jet.
SpiderSlitScrotums@reddit
Confusing perspective perhaps? There isn’t enough info from the photo to really gauge the size and depth of the crater.
SugarBeefs@reddit
There's people on either ends of the crater, it's not that hard to judge in my opinion. Definitely waaaay too small to be a full-sized fighter jet. It's either part of a fighter jet (though I wouldn't know which, nothing really matches) or something else entirely.
The shape of the crater also suggests it came down pretty much vertically.
abscissa081@reddit
Looks too small to me. I agree with you mostly though that there isn't enough info to gauge it but the f16 engine is nearly 4ft wide
VladimirsGs@reddit
Possibly F-16 Viper they got smaller engines
Johnny-Cash-Facts@reddit
What do you mean “F-16 Viper?” Viper is the unofficial name for the F-16. Engine size hasn’t changed.
VladimirsGs@reddit
Sorry I meant reaper someone said that before that they use smaller engines but I’m not an expert
Bad_Karma19@reddit
what???
121507090301@reddit
Reports that it's an F-16 that was shot down as well, but might just be one of the drones Iran shot down tonight...
TangledPangolin@reddit
It might not be an F-16, but that's definitely not a drone. Iran did shoot down what looks like a Chinese built Wing Loong 2 yesterday though.
VladimirsGs@reddit
I don’t think so but we don’t know
DormontDangerzone@reddit
My post on the Black Hawk being damaged got removed so I’ll repost the pic here.
whats_a_quasar@reddit
Can you share the source?
No one should be posting images here without a citation.
Kardinal@reddit
But we are still not sure it is from today or from Iran, I believe?
Not trying to deny it. Just saying we don't know.
AccountNumber0004@reddit
It’s from today and there were actually 2 Blackhawks that were hit/damaged, but both made it out of Iran. Pentagon hasn’t directly confirmed it, but people are leaking stuff to the media again.
Kardinal@reddit
First, let me say definitively that the photograph belongs here and it adds to the conversation. I'm not saying it shouldn't be here.
In the thread in which that commenter originally posted, they mentioned that it came from telegram. Which can be a fine source. But without corroboration, a relatively blurry photograph like this is not itself enough to conclude that this is in fact a damaged that was flying over Iranian airspace in the last 24 hours.
There's no question that Blackhawks have been damaged over Iran during that time. But we don't know that this specific photograph is one of them. As far as I know at least.
AccountNumber0004@reddit
I don’t really understand the point of your comment. NBC and CBS so far have corroborated that 2 Blackhawks were hit, but made it out of Iran. Why are you getting so caught up on the picture? Who’s going to verify it? The Pentagon sure as hell won’t and no one will believe what Iran says anyways.
SorryDetective6687@reddit
After today's multiple disasters there might be policy changes and recommendations to massively scale back search and rescue missions behind enemy lines. The policy might revert back to the good ole 50's where shot down pilots were given the options of becoming a POW (even though Iran has designated them as terrorists) or of taking an L-pill and calling it a day.
NoName-Cheval03@reddit
SAR missions are a luxury allowed by air supremacy.
This_Elk_1460@reddit
Trillion dollar military gets shellacked by multi-million dollar military
agent_p_@reddit
It seems that all aircraft losses or damage are on the U.S. side. Is there a reason Israel hasn’t experienced any?
hotpotcommander@reddit
US basing is closer to Iran and at far higher risk of being hit on the ground.
Take away the planes damaged on the ground and the three F-15s shot down in the friendly fire incident, the US has lost
Considering the number of sorties, it's kind of bonkers that this list isn't longer.
lovestobitch-@reddit
Someone in another thread said we’ve lost more aircraft in this war than all of Iraq/Afghanistan.
Enough-Animator9931@reddit
Holy shit, is that true?
Own_Pop_9711@reddit
Between Iraq and Afghanistan they had like 2 weapons capable of shooting down a jet so it's not that surprising.
etheran123@reddit
Isnt that kind of expected though?
I mean my understanding of the Iraq/Afghanistan conflicts is that we were fighting against poorly funded and trained insurgents. Sure they had some funding from other sources or countries, but it was a far cry from fighting an actual trained well funded millitary. Not that Iran is some global super power, but they are a lot more formidable than the taliban.
Bababacon@reddit
I think you mean.. “excursion”
wild_ryno@reddit
Its not like Iran is reporting on its MASSIVE aircraft losses.
Philly514@reddit
Why would Israel put any of their own men in danger when the US so willingly sends their own in their stead.
roguemenace@reddit
You know Israel has been conducting strikes every day of the war right? Not everything is some Jewish conspiracy theory.
totallybag@reddit
Yeah strikes from a distance they aren't flying over Iran.
beaversharts@reddit
Nobody mentioned Jews but you.
roguemenace@reddit
Less aircraft, different areas of the country. Also we're only at 3 hit by enemy fire so could just be luck.
whopperlover17@reddit
You know why
Late-Scarcity-6916@reddit
Manned aircraft shot down by Iran
• one F15E 🇺🇲
• one A10C 🇺🇸
Manned aircraft stuck by Iran (on ground)
• One E3 AWACS 🇺🇸
• One UH-60 🇺🇲
• Six KC135R 🇺🇲
Manned aircraft struck by Iran (in air)
• One F35A 🇺🇲
• One F/A-18E/F 🇺🇲
• One HH-60 🇺🇲
(F18 damage is unconfirmed)
Manned aircraft lost in the conflict, not directly due to Iran
• Three F15E 🇺🇸
• One AH-64 🇦🇪
• One KC135R 🇺🇸
This_Elk_1460@reddit
Totally winning this war guys trust me
Illustrious-Smoke509@reddit
Six U.S. fighter jets shot down in five weeks time.
praetordave@reddit
Don't forget the Kc-135 accident, and the E-3 hit on the ground
TheSquattyEwok@reddit
Terrifying to think what is happening right now to the pilot that was captured.
StrangeStephen@reddit
He was rescued. They are still looking for the WSO.
OptimusSublime@reddit
I've seen this movie. WSOs never make it.
Maverick-not-really@reddit
Is there more than one movie on this topic? Cuz in behind enemy lines the WSO makes it while Harvey Specter takes the long nap
roguemenace@reddit
Talk to me Goose.
Maverick-not-really@reddit
Dont you dare come in here and pretend på boy Goose was a WSO. Thats Mr.RIO to you!
ISTBU@reddit
WOW you just made that connection for me - thanks for a laugh in an otherwise somber thread.
NekrotismFalafel@reddit
That's funny.
old_righty@reddit
What color shirt is he wearing?
DadeisZeroCool@reddit
Confirmed captured?
TheSquattyEwok@reddit
Saw a pic somewhere of the 2nd pilot with his arms raised. Not confirmed to my knowledge
Fun-Cauliflower-1724@reddit
Where? On Twitter, the most trusted source in news?
HawksFantasy@reddit
Honestly the balls on these CSAR guys.. its wild to be flying so low and slow over hostile territory but thats their job and I know pilots everywhere are grateful for it.
flying_wrenches@reddit
USAF PJs are second to none for (public) special forces groups..
Think coast guard but offensive.
Calling_left_final@reddit
Are there private special forces? I know Delta force is very secretive but they are known to exist, are there groups that are only rumored to exist like in Ghost Recon?
flying_wrenches@reddit
Yeah, just like Area 51. Exists, not publicly acknowledged or confirmed to exist..
Like how delta is “taskforce green”. Or “army compartmented elements” implying there are other units people Simply don’t need to know about. Unless they’re knocking on your door.
Janky_Pants@reddit
Read Alone At Dawn about Sgt. John Chapman. Amazing story.
Ok_Geologist_448@reddit
They are an elite bunch and will do whatever it takes to get our men and women back.
TurkeyBLTSandwich@reddit
Isn't that like super dangerous? because the manpads took out the F-15e soooooo wouldn't C-130's and Black Hawks be easier?
Poltergeist97@reddit
The C-130s being used are meant to be flying low in contested territory like this. They have LAIRCM (large aircraft infra-red countermeasures) that point a laser at incoming infrared (heat seeking) missiles to confuse them, along with a metric ass ton of flare launchers.
ps2sunvalley@reddit
As someone who flew a plane equipped with laircm in the past, it’s not the end-all-be-all of missile defense. I wouldn’t trust my life on it.
MrFoolinaround@reddit
What you didnt like playing cloud or missile during night ops?
ps2sunvalley@reddit
Exactly
Oriellien@reddit
Depends on what type of weapons are being used. HC-130J’s have incredible countermeasures to lots of AA weapons, such as the infrared missiles used against the F35 earlier in the war. But yea, in general, a lot easier to shoot at low flying targets. The guys involved in SAR are the ballsiest around
Salsalito_Turkey@reddit
PJs are the baddest of the badasses.
ISTBU@reddit
At this point Delta is probably already on the ground as well.
chenkie@reddit
What a shit show. Humans suck
userhwon@reddit
That simplistic view is how this was justified by the people doing it.
Both ways.
chenkie@reddit
What? I’m literally just saying we as a species suck cuz we do shit like this. It’s kinda a truism.
userhwon@reddit
It's a false generalization that demonizes many people who don't deserve it and they react by feeling like they have no hope of making a change so they don't try.
Awkward_Phase9392@reddit
Its just an airplane, this is news?
Nanamil@reddit
Because we are in the Aviation subreddit, smooth brain
Youngstown_WuTang@reddit
Many Redditors don't want any negative or US military losses to be posted , so they'll saying, " that's it" or " is this really newsworthy "
Awkward_Phase9392@reddit
Eh, wish it would just not show up on my feed. DGAF.
whats_a_quasar@reddit
This is the aviation sub. We talk about airplanes.
CapableCollar@reddit
It's pretty noteworthy news a lot of people want to follow. It had a couple threads already of various updates from various sources before it was consolidated.
Coy9ine@reddit
Gastroid@reddit
I can't imagine how flying slow, lumbering, irreplaceable bombers over hostile airspace could go wrong.
No-Truck-4302@reddit
Iran is a very large country, It's about the size of 7 midwestern states. Air dominance is not homogeneous, certain areas I'm sure are safe for B52s and other areas clearly are not.
AhoyWilliam@reddit
Also, they seem to be taking the AGM-158 JASSM, so they're realistically launching those from hundreds of miles away.
gromain@reddit
They fly very high so that helps a lot.
Kardinal@reddit
Regarding the vulnerability of b-52s, I speculate that if they maintain very high altitude that they would only be vulnerable surface to air missile systems which have probably been very effectively suppressed at this point. I don't think AAA cannons and man pads can reach six miles in the air.
I think we would agree that the war is ill conceived and lacks any coherent strategy or objective. But I do believe the actual mission and tactical planners probably know what they're doing.
Kardinal@reddit
I believe that the b-52s are actually quite replaceable. They've been cannibalizing parts from the boneyard all the way down to structural components so it wouldn't Surprise me if they could actually make a whole new one out of those parts along with the new engines.
I just looked it up and apparently two of them have been already. Probably very limited numbers but possible.
Eolopolo@reddit
Two aircraft lost in the space of a day would be humiliating. Need better confirmation on that A-10 report though.
AtomicVGZ@reddit
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/04/03/world/iran-war-trump-oil/47863db0-d61e-51bf-b7e1-6c4a9dc988e7?smid=url-share
userhwon@reddit
Wait...ambiguity time. "In that incident" applies to which incident, the A-10 or the F-15E?
Fenton_Ellsworth@reddit
F-15E. The first sentence says the A-10 had only one pilot, so it can't be referring to that.
ski-devil@reddit
Not really. As the next phase of the war requires jets to get closer to the deck, they are more susceptible to AAA and Manpads/IR SAMs. This is a common thing in air warfare.
I will say, we don't know what happened to the Strike Eagle, but the Hog being low in the straight, to persecute targets, makes a lot of sense. It's very dangerous. I hope the Strike Eagle crew can be rescued. Hats off to the Jolly Green crews for their efforts.
Eolopolo@reddit
Aside from the fact that the loon was babbling about a decimated air defence capacity. That Iranian airs were under full American control and that Iran couldn't lift a finger to American planes.
Looks like he was wrong... or lying. Probably lying.
faberkyx@reddit
Didn't the orange guy say just yesterday that 100% of Iran anti aircraft capabilities had been annihilated?
usgapg123@reddit (OP)
It’s being reported on by The Guardian, which is a relatively reliable source.
IHaventConsideredIt@reddit
NYT as well
userhwon@reddit
That A-10 link got locked less than 8 minutes after it was posted...
usgapg123@reddit (OP)
It’s a megathread topic.
CapableCollar@reddit
I didn't delete the post.
usgapg123@reddit (OP)
It was deleted automatically because you didn't respond to the bot through reddit DMs. I reapproved it.
CapableCollar@reddit
I must have misread that auto mod post, I responded as a comment to it.
usgapg123@reddit (OP)
I saw, for some reason it only acknowledges the response if you reply to the DM it sends. I just manually approve the posts each time someone makes a mistake like that, so it’s not really a problem.
Kardinal@reddit
Worth changing the name of this megathread to include both incidents? Just to steer traffic here more effecitvely?
usgapg123@reddit (OP)
Unfortunately we can’t edit the name of a post after it’s been posted. I added the link to that incident here as well.
Kardinal@reddit
Understood. Thanks for what you do.
usgapg123@reddit (OP)
We do the best we can.
strictly_prawn@reddit
I don't want to draw a false equivalence, as I recognize that the conditions and combatants are different to the degree that Iran has been preparing for this conflict for decades, but it is a wild notion to me that we have lost more airborne aircraft in the past month in than in the entirety of the modern middle eastern conflicts post Gulfwar.
We lost 1 in the entire decapitation strike against Iraq, an A-10, during Iraqi freedom.
At this point, if we sustain the conflict, we are looking at similar levels of air frame losses to the Gulf War...
Hoping the pilots are recovered, and hoping for this conflict to end...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_combat_losses_of_United_States_military_aircraft_since_the_Vietnam_War https://www.afhistory.af.mil/FAQs/Fact-Sheets/Article/458942/2003-operation-iraqi-freedom/
battlecryarms@reddit
I mean, when we attack a country with a real military, we should expect losses. Iran today and Iraq in the first Gulf War had real militaries
Kardinal@reddit
And further, Iran has spent the last many years preparing for an eventual conflict with the United States on its own soil. It has done a great deal of prep for it.
War Without a Center: Iran’s Mosaic Defense - Modern Diplomacy
xenokilla@reddit
near peer warfare, who knew...
Flaxinator@reddit
Iran isn't near peer
userhwon@reddit
They aren't the best, and we're not using our best to make decisions. So, the peerness is in the ballpark.
chronoserpent@reddit
To be fair, wasn't Iraq 2003 significantly degraded after the 1991 war and decades of sanctions? Other than that we were fighting essentially permissive environments afterwards in Iraq and Afghanistan for nearly 20 years.
In the 1991 war the Coalition lost 52 fixed wing and 23 rotary wing aircraft.
MVGbear@reddit
Fox News is reporting the first pilot has been recovered.
EarthMarsUranus@reddit
Even crazier that of the six lost (2 kc135, 4 f15) only one appears to have been lost to enemy fire.
DOOM_INTENSIFIES@reddit
Didn't the US also lost an E3?
EarthMarsUranus@reddit
Yes but it was on the ground at the time.
strictly_prawn@reddit
I am drawing the distinction. Losing ground based airframes is arguably easier to achieve through simpler weapons, e.g. RPG, weaponized drones, ground attacks. We lost a significant amount of airframes in Afghanistan in one singular attack.
I am drawing the distinction to highlight the operational failure to implement sustainable air superiority. We have had the operational notion of offensive superiority since Vietnam using SEAD and keeping the dependable airspace clear through our own IADS.
I guess what I'm driving at is the cracks are starting to show that our incompetence is making the US look to be a paper tiger. Unable to defend our allies, massive loss of nigh-unreplaceable IADS, now an abnormally high number of casualties in comparison to prior conflicts. This administration absolutely overestimated our capabilities, and underestimated Iranian military forces.
It feels like our administration thought this would be a cakewalk based on the last 20 years of "military operations" and a surgical strike in Venezuela, and is absolutely getting its nose bloodied going in to the first near peer direct conflict since the Gulf War.
quesoandcats@reddit
Two, one was a hull loss and the other was heavily damaged and won’t be flying anywhere anytime soon
BAMES_J0ND@reddit
Are the two KC135’s the ones that collided? I thought one was repairable.
Calling_left_final@reddit
You're saying that its like a bad thing, you start a bs war, you bomb schools and you bring the world closer to ww3, you deserve to have your planes shot at.
lyricaldorian@reddit
Hey now, that sounds political
Calling_left_final@reddit
It's not political, it's an opinion on why a state shouldn't have planes.
strictly_prawn@reddit
Yeah, I'm not defending the US actions here, nor am I suggesting that this is a good or bad thing. I am vehemently opposed to this pointless and illegal war.
I am just underlining how poorly executed this is. We were engaged in a 20+ year boondoggle that killed hundreds of thousands of people, and burned through an unbelievable amount of US taxpayer money, resulting in destabilization of the entire region.
What I'd like to reiterate, is during that conflict, we lost less airborne airframes in this entire conflict with both Iraq and Afghanistan. To have this rate of casualties speaks to how badly the US fucked up by engaging in this conflict.
The US shouldn't be engaged in this full stop. It is a war of aggression. The loss of life is obviously more important, but how fucking dumb are we to fuck up this badly?
Slacker_75@reddit
What the fuck did we expect was going to happen occupying another country? Yet again
scotsman3288@reddit
Another country that is also an empire that's been around for few thousand years...
userhwon@reddit
1979 was 47 years ago.
Usual-Wasabi-6846@reddit
Given that combat search and rescue assets a Were there to be rapidly deployed we clearly did expect it.
Fun-Cauliflower-1724@reddit
Anyone remember Scott O’Brady, the F16 pilot who got shot down over Bosnia? He escaped capture for 6 days before he was rescued.
WildeWeasel@reddit
It was 6 days because he did a lot of things incorrectly or he shouldn't have done. Hopefully these aircrew are more competent than he was.
ace39865@reddit
Lol, yes. He was kind of a shitty aviator in general.
whimpers2@reddit
He had a opportunity for air to air kills in Bosnia, he couldnt get any missiles off his jet while his flight lead scored 3 kills
userhwon@reddit
Was that him or equipment issues?
Fun-Cauliflower-1724@reddit
I read his book about the experience but it was so long ago I completely forgot the details
BlueBrye@reddit
I net Scott O'Grady once, one of his number 1 pieces of advice was "always dress to egress."
MrFoolinaround@reddit
SERE uses that as a motto teaching refreshers to us
Razzledazzy@reddit
That reminds me of my grandpa telling me to wear 'pajamas i'd be okay escaping from a house fire in' as a kid. This results in me leaving my shoes by my door and wearing no pants because I decided I did not care.
MightBeAGoodIdea@reddit
They made a decent movie out of that with Owen Wilson acting serious for more than 5 minutes.
Disastrous-Power-699@reddit
I rewatched it recently and the editing for some reason really bothered me. SOOOO many quick cuts that I hadn't noticed on my first watch
MightBeAGoodIdea@reddit
I don't think I've seen it since it came out to rent back when people rented movies. I'm also told some scenes were unrealistic and that Ogrady didn't like how he was portrayed I guess.
Dragon6172@reddit
What was unrealistic to me, was Gene Hackman, a Navy Admiral, leading the rescue mission. Piloting USMC Hueys (which at the time had a combat radius of two football fields). Flying off of a full sized Navy carrier.
All bullshit.
superdookietoiletexp@reddit
Scott O’Grady sued the producers of Behind Enemy Lines because he didn’t like how Owen Wilson played the character.
MightBeAGoodIdea@reddit
O.o I am but a casual movie watcher, was it not done well? Or did he just want someone more macho and famous for the role?
superdookietoiletexp@reddit
He complained that Owen Wilson swore and was disrespectful of the chain of command.
MightBeAGoodIdea@reddit
Oh no not bad language in stressful situations? the horror....
...unless the dude was known for being ultra squeaky clean i guess.
superdookietoiletexp@reddit
He had his sights set on being elected to office, which I guess is what motivated the suit.
TooEZ_OL56@reddit
wowwwwwww
MightBeAGoodIdea@reddit
Up there with "alright alright alright" when it comes to one-liners attached to very specific people that are otherwise pretty vague.
Reapercore@reddit
The missile shoot down scene is sooooo bad though.
MrMojoRisin1222@reddit
This incident is what “Behind Enemy Lines” (2001) is based off of.
Adabar@reddit
I’m just here to say Kudos to Reddit cuz this was first reported around 2am CST and it took until around 10am CST before major news sources started covering it.
Glad we recovered one crew member; hope we find the second 🙏🏼
userhwon@reddit
Um...I'm not in possession of the reports you saw, but if major news sources took the time to verify the story before releasing it, then kudos go to them instead.
entered_bubble_50@reddit
Social media is always first to report on things like this. But half the time it's complete nonsense. Conventional media takes longer to publish since they have actual journalists and a reputation to maintain.
JKKIDD231@reddit
A second US Air Force combat aircraft crashed in the Persian Gulf region on Friday, according to The New York Times.
Citing two US officials, the daily reported that the lone pilot was safely rescued .
The A-10 Warthog attack plane went down near the Strait of Hormuz at about the same time that an Air Force F-15E was shot down over Iran, the officials said, per the report.
FlyRvR@reddit
Reports of an A-10 down as well. Possible report, weak one, of Blackhawk down.
Calling_left_final@reddit
Oh man, are we about to get a Blackhawk down?
userhwon@reddit
They're going to have to make it a series...
ratatouille211@reddit
Over on combat footage, people were saying while the US have air superiority over Iran, they don't have total control of the skies and there were lots of near misses.
It was coming for the US military.
TooEZ_OL56@reddit
The US unquestionable has air supremacy over Iran, I don't think a single image/video/report/came to me in a dream has surfaced of the Iranians providing any effective resistance via their air force.
However even with air superiority/supremacy your assets are still vulnerable to decentralized anti-air assets such as manpads, a dude with dska, and smaller more concealable radar sams.
bantha121@reddit
Supremacy is extremely questionable when they're downing planes; they do have Superiority though
Pasco08@reddit
They have downed one plane....... In a war that has been going on for 34 days.
chronoserpent@reddit
Hell, Kuwait has downed more American planes than Iran has
njmids@reddit
Air superiority is not the same as air supremacy. We have superiority, not supremacy.
HoustonHous@reddit
Total control is not really possible, especially for a country as large as Iran. But the percentage of successful damage is so low. Especially when you consider the ongoing rescue efforts for the 1 downed jet, the lack of additional damage considering the less sophisticated aircrafts used and the fact that Iran is aware it's ongoing.
viccityguy2k@reddit
I’m sure the lower searching aircraft are being protected from above by many drones and satellites. If a mobile AA gun were to appear or a guy with a shoulder launcher poked out from a house - they would not last long
matarbis@reddit
You realize this is real life right?
NormanQuacks345@reddit
They don’t need to last long to get a hit
WildeWeasel@reddit
They have air superiority, but not air supremacy.
NormanQuacks345@reddit
It’s been over a month now. The fact that this is the first jet to be downed by enemy fire is pretty good, all things considered.
transglutaminase@reddit
More than pretty good, it’s amazing. There’s been like 10,000 combat sorties and 1 plane downed.
ice445@reddit
Iran is playing for the long game like an onion. Each layer that gets unraveled has something different which keeps the element of surprise in their court at all times
tambrico@reddit
I think that's a bit of an exaggeration. This is all pretty standard and expected.
ice445@reddit
Well im not saying it like its something profound, its just one of the few strategies you can employ in an asymmetric situation. Capitalizing on complacency can work on anyone
throw_me_away3478@reddit
Whys the A-10 post locked?
Broad-Lobster7470@reddit
Dang the SAR seems like one heck of a dangerous Job. Seems like they would be sitting ducks
AlphaThree@reddit
I have an uncle who was Marine special forces for 20 years and he said USAF pararescue crews were the best of the best.
improbablydrunknlw@reddit
I bet they're the coolest guys in theater though.
Easy_Money_@reddit
So, CENTCOM lied? https://x.com/CENTCOM/status/2039805134704660622?s=20
Epcplayer@reddit
Maybe to get ahead of the propaganda… there was a post on r/worldnews over an hour ago claiming they’d captured the pilot (without evidence), and Reddit was soaking it all up as fact.
People don’t wait for verified information anymore, they wait for what they want to hear, and then take it as fact.
tambrico@reddit
And honestly it's sad to hear that reddit wants to hear that a USAF pilot was shot down and captured by the Iranian military
toomanynamesaretook@reddit
Why are you surprised? An insane despot launched an illegal war of aggression which is turning into a complete cluster fuck.
Shock horror people don't like it.
tambrico@reddit
This reply is largely hyperbolized and I suspect you are not American.
LightningGeek@reddit
1/3rd of your country voted a man who is a convicted rapist, most likely a paedophile, and who insulted your countries closest allies after we came to your aid after 9/11.
So no, why should we give a shit about what happens to US service people in an illegal war when the person you chose to lead you has less than zero respect for the traditional allies of the US.
toomanynamesaretook@reddit
I'm Kiwi.
What part do you find hyperbole and why?
discographyA@reddit
All three participants in this war are pathological liars as a way of life, it’s hardly surprising people aren’t waiting for confirmation there likely would never be.
Epcplayer@reddit
But idk if anybody ever recognizes why they have an incentive to lie about certain things…
Everybody needs to wait and verify something if they like how it sounds.
discographyA@reddit
Okay, but if the only three parties that are likely to have information from a war zone are doing those things it seems contradictory to be expecting any sort of verification of anything from anyone that is actually believable.
Epcplayer@reddit
The same way we’re doing it with Russia/Ukraine. When you make certain claims, you have to provide some level of evidence depending on the claim.
If somebody is saying they shot down an F-35 and captured the pilot, then they should show you the Plane/crash/debris/pilot before taking it as gospel. Just like when the US says we completely degraded their missile capabilities, you don’t believe it for at least a weak of no missile/drones flying into the nearby countries.
Both sides are going to exaggerate successes and minimize setbacks… so until there’s proof of a claim, it should be taken with a grain of salt.
Buzz407@reddit
'sok. Captain Hegseth will get a purple heart for their sacrifice. We are going to win. No way around it. USG is willing to sacrifice as many American lives as it takes to ensure the safety of our "friends" in the region.
Buzz407@reddit
If this comment is against the rules, so is this post. This is not a post about aviation. It is a post about WAR. Politics and religion are the only things which generate war.
aviation-ModTeam@reddit
This content was removed for breaking the r/aviation rules.
This subreddit is dedicated to aviation and the discussion of aviation, not politics and religion. For discussion of these subjects, please choose a more appropriate subreddit.
If you believe this was a mistake, please message the moderators through modmail. Thank you for participating in the r/aviation community.
hoppertn@reddit
What friends like these, who needs enemies!
Khamvom@reddit
This is different. Look at the timestamps dude.
The IRGC claimed earlier in the day that it shot down an aircraft in the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM quickly denied this (hence the tweet).
Same day Iran claimed to down the F-15 over central Iran, CENTCOM has yet to comment on that.
Tricky_Big_8774@reddit
Actually, they claimed to have downed an F-35.
Khamvom@reddit
Initially yes. But they quickly swapped it to say F-15 after photos of the wreckage started circulating online.
Easy_Money_@reddit
Thanks for the clarification, that helps actually
Ok_Geologist_448@reddit
I dont understand why America is so "secretive" with its own people? Like we know news and information before they EVER Tell us ANYTHING...
ncc81701@reddit
Because any information could be use to compromise the SAR efforts if they haven't be rescued yet. As an example, even seemingly minor information like confirmed contact with 2 down pilots instead of one gives the other side information about how many pilots to look for. Conducting a rescue near a crash site is orders of magnitude easier than extracting someone from a POW prison. So for OpSec you want to keep everything as quiet as possible until the pilots are rescued and next of kin informed.
AngriestManinWestTX@reddit
Part of it likely trying to inform the families with most accurate information possible before making official statements.
Thuraash@reddit
I wouldn't trust a solitary piece of information out of the US Government right now. Waiting for Reuters /AP / AFP.
Hell of a time to be alive.
FFSBoise@reddit
AP link
TheTangoFox@reddit
Trust, but verify
(I'm skewed on the latter for the next few years)
MegaMugabe21@reddit
Feels like every twitter account belonging to US Official platforms has been handed off to a 15 year old boy these days, so who knows why.
GITS75@reddit
What's the pararescuemen Mottos...
"These Things We Do, That Others May Live"
chunt75@reddit
Guardian is now reporting that an A-10 went down near the Strait of Hormuz, with the pilot rescued. No further details yet
userWithAQuestion12@reddit
Can you provide a link I haven’t been able to find that. Looked on their website. I might have missed it I am in between meetings.
usgapg123@reddit (OP)
It’s in the Middle East Crisis live updates section.
deleted_by_reddit@reddit
[removed]
usgapg123@reddit (OP)
For anyone.
SpareFullback@reddit
I certainly don't support this war and think the fact that a pilot is in this situation at all is the result of terrible mismanagement of the country and military.
Now that said.... Damn, the balls on whoever is piloting that plane. combat Search and rescue is absolutely holding up to their promises, risks be damned.
FaZaCon@reddit
>the fact that a pilot is in this situation at all is the result of terrible mismanagement of the country and military.
Terrible mismanagement?? Nearly 10,000 combat sorties successfully flown, and one downed plane, in a country that spent 50 years and a trillion dollars building one of the worlds biggest anti-air weapons network. How the fuck Reddit glosses over that fact is ridiculous.
equatorbit@reddit
I agree with you. But if Iran parades a POW around like Saddam did, my support for intervention to get that person out will increase dramatically.
Jumpy_Exercise2722@reddit
One of those UH60s is also down near the border, there’s another thread about that
Pasco08@reddit
Stop spreading fake shit
usgapg123@reddit (OP)
Could you link that thread?
ice445@reddit
I dont see anywhere its confirmed
viccityguy2k@reddit
Ya- just a bunch of sus images and sketch news sources at this point
toomanynamesaretook@reddit
Which is how the original story broke
transglutaminase@reddit
True, but the uss Abraham Lincoln has also been sunk like 2 dozen times since the start of the conflict. I take all breaking news from this conflict with a grain of salt as there’s so much misinformation being peddled
Jumpy_Exercise2722@reddit
Now that I can search yes:
https://www.reddit.com/r/TimesNow/s/r9gzel6LmI
rhineauto@reddit
That is not exactly a reliable source.
ifcknkl@reddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/aviation/s/c0nusSP2Ll
ifcknkl@reddit
Oh nvmnd, I want link too
Psychological-Owl783@reddit
Unconfirmed reports that one of the UH-60s was downed.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/iran-shot-down-us-special-forces-american-uh-60-black-hawk-helicopter-and-is-the-crew-safe-dead-or-captured-latest-updates-on-rescue-mission-f-15-pilot-capture-claims-search-and-rescue-mission-to-locate-a-us-fighter-pilot-ejected-after-jet-crash/articleshow/130004636.cms?from=mdr
OttSound@reddit
it's cute how all the videos of Iranian "hits" on U.S. aircraft tend to cut off at the moment of impact and do not show the craft going down afterward.
potato_bus@reddit
Remember everyone saying that about the F15 video too. And here we are.
WirelessWavetable@reddit
We still don't know if that video is legit. Or if that video is from a different F-15 they attempted to hit and missed.
Ok-Archer-4033@reddit
I know beyond a shadow of a doubt the video is real. I was a mechanic on F-15s and I have friends still doing that job.
MotivatedsellerCT@reddit
Osintdefender on IG has an image of a damaged helicopter. They are usually pretty good with their sources
rhineauto@reddit
That site is about as reliable as the Weekly World News. Read the article, it’s pure slop.
Psychological-Owl783@reddit
It reads like it was poorly translated to English, but I don't know anything at all about the reputation of the publisher.
rhineauto@reddit
It reads like AI slop
Mynameisdiehard@reddit
I read a follow up that they came under fire but we're able to retreat
Psychological-Owl783@reddit
hopefully that is true. With all the different regimes lying it is hard to know what is real.
APartialAnalysis@reddit
ELI5-- do they not having some sort of homing beacons on each solider? How are they not more easily discovered or tracked??
Severe_Space5830@reddit
On the ACES II ejection seat (used in the F-15) there’s a beacon in the survival kit that’s attached to the parachute harness and stored in the seat pan. When man/seat separation occurs a plunger switch activates the beacon. There’s a hole in the front of the seat where the pilot can select continuous broadcast or combat. Used to be combat broadcast for five minutes then self destructs. That was to stop the enemy from finding it and setting up a SAR trap to ambush rescue troops. Public domain information for 30 years, no OPSEC here.
Kardinal@reddit
The equipment they use for location is a lot more sophisticated these days, and only responds when a SAR aircraft is in range. The downed pilot won't be broadcasting to avoid triangulation, but their equipment will respond when CSAR is close. Assuming it is still working properly.
00owl@reddit
In the simplest of terms, why don't they just light a fire and use smoke signals?
space_coyote_86@reddit
Iranians can see smoke signals too
unreqistered@reddit
to quote “Behind Enemy Lines”
viccityguy2k@reddit
Anything you transmit can be triangulated by anyone else with the equipment. They have emergency radios and I’m sure IR lights etc. pilots are trained to follow a set procedure if downed and evading. This may mean turning on a device and/or transmitting a signal or voice communication at a set time each hour for a limited amount of time.
mulvda@reddit
If we can track it, they can track it. I assume that’s a primary reason.
torquesteer@reddit
This would also make it easier for the enemies to find them, no? They go through SEAR and are taught to evade as long as they can, and only to turn on their radios when they are clear of danger.
Inceptor57@reddit
They likely do, but are trying to find a safe time to deploy them.
Even if the beacon are encrypted, the electromagnetic emission from the beacon can possibly clue the Iranian on their location, so could be the pilots are looking to find a safe time and place to deploy it so the Pararescue team get them first before the Iranians do.
dronesitter@reddit
Beacons can be tracked by the bad guys. Not something you leave enabled while on the run.
SirLoremIpsum@reddit
I'm sure there are beacons but they work both ways.
A radio beacon is just pumping out RF which is detectable to the searchers on both sides.
Imagine activating a light, at night to get found. It's not a light for my side. Maybe it's encrypted traffic that can't be listened to, but triangulating a radio signal can still be found easily
incitatus-says@reddit
Hopefully the Iranians treat the (apparently) captured pilot better than the US treated folks like Abu Zubaydah.
xenokilla@reddit
I think the best move would be Iran to treat them amazingly. Just as a giant middle finger to the US.
throwsFatalException@reddit
Who said the pilot was captured?
007meow@reddit
Hegseth has said that we shall give no quarter.
Let’s hope the Iranians are better than we are.
CapableCollar@reddit
Iran has stated intent to treat downed pilots conventionally, basically capture if possible.
nilocinator@reddit
lol @ the guys saying American rescue aren’t in any danger and Iran air defense success was a fluke. I’m sure the crew of the reportedly hit helicopter feel differently about Irans capabilities
scotsman3288@reddit
Has the US ever won a war one-on-one?
ImJustStealingMemes@reddit
Mexican American war. Spanish American war. Civil War.
While they had regiments from other countries here, they had minimal impact.
Since WW1 they have pretty much been accompanied by its allies, the UN or NATO.
Several_Hospital_129@reddit
The Mexican American War was not a"war." It was a brazen land grab by the U.S. committed by a president who had promised his followers that he would acquire Texas for them.
At the time, it was filled with white, slave-owning settlers. They were mad that Mexico had banned slavery and so wanted to secede. They had declared their independence, but the Mexican government refused to recognize them. President Polk sent American troops down to border to pick a fight. Unfortunately, Mexico was a mess politically and so they were unable to mount a strong defense.
It's ironic, because the eastern counties of New Mexico are very conservative. Earlier this year two Republicans in the state legislature filed a bill that would have allowed these counties to secede and join Texas. The bill went nowhere, but the Texas legislature recently announced that they are exploring the option of annexing those counties. It wasn't enough that they had to apart Mexico. Now they want to do the same thing to one of their fellow states 🙄.
bender__futurama@reddit
Not really. Most if not are following the same scenario.
You prepare for the war, first you sanction that country into the ground, they have old obsolete equipment, you commit SEAD/DEAD, destroy what is left of their air defense, send troops if needed, but with air support that can fly low to the ground now that you destroyed their air defense. And thats it.
Hey, I can be the general.
AmbitiousEconomics@reddit
I know this is straying close to the line, but has any country?
throwsFatalException@reddit
Very few wars are "one-on-one" in the 20th century and beyond. They are almost always multiple belligerent parties. Vietnam, Desert Storm, WW2, Korea etc all had multiple countries.
treeof@reddit
Several times
Zh25_5680@reddit
Civil War 😃
Report_Last@reddit
this looks really bad, the Iranians releasing the photo of the ejection seat is not good. hopefully some friendlies helped and maybe hid them. this puts a lot of pressure on this war that has been "won" if the Iranians have the pilot or pilots held hostage. U.S. will be forced to mount a rescue mission which could mean more American casualties, not to mention the "decimated" Iranians still have the capability to shoot down an F 15. Trump has really stepped in it bigly.
ScienceMechEng_Lover@reddit
Lol you're relying on finding people friendly to you in the country you're attacking. I get that Iranians are dissatisfied with their current government, but I don't think many are happy about getting bombed either.
DadeisZeroCool@reddit
Not to mention 50k reward money
LearningT0Fly@reddit
Pilot already rescued by the US. Search for WSO continues.
ckhaulaway@reddit
Source?
LearningT0Fly@reddit
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/military/us-fighter-jet-went-iran-search-rescue-mission-underway-officials-say-rcna266523
ckhaulaway@reddit
Thank you.
GenericAccount13579@reddit
The pilot doesn’t ride the seat all the way down, they separate pretty early in the ejection process
Klutzy-Residen@reddit
Can they glide after parachute deploys or do they go straight down?
GenericAccount13579@reddit
They’re typically round parachutes which have limited steerability, but they’ll drift with the wind pretty good
DudleyAndStephens@reddit
They could easily have found the seat hours after the pilots ejected. That on its own doesn't tell us much.
sentinel_of_ether@reddit
So was it an f-15 or an f-35??
throwsFatalException@reddit
Strike Eagle.
BobIoblaw@reddit
Correct, F-15E. Crew: Pilot and Weapons System Officer (WSO; pronounced Whiz-O).
Treinrukker@reddit
F15
totallybag@reddit
F-15
kinaflazy@reddit
Some people say Black Hawk down (18KIA, 84WIA). Well it can be that or F117A (No casualties).
or can end up as Battle of Cu Nghi (about 80KIA and 200+ WIA).
If this continues, we will end up seeing all those scenarios.
nova_rock@reddit
Operation Eagle white claw
-Racer-X@reddit
seems like news of the blackhawk and other f16 sqwaking 7700 have both died down in the last hour thankfully
kinaflazy@reddit
I think the F16 was over Saudi airspace. So friendly territory.
But all in all, this was lucky to have happened over a border province.
Imagine this happening near some Iranian stronghold in the middle of the country.
billinbah@reddit
Where would the CSAR most likely have taken off from?
BobIoblaw@reddit
Probably Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. That’s my best guess at least. Unsure where the crash was in relation to Qatar though.
qalpi@reddit
WaPo reporting 1 rescued: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/04/03/f-15-crash-iran-missing/
deleted_by_reddit@reddit
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OptimusSublime@reddit
If it was shot down, why aren't the rescue and search aircraft being fired on. Something obviously happened to it but I don't believe it was Iranian.
EasyAsAyeBeeSea@reddit
Shoot and scoot is how any competent missile launch commander would be operating
BigJellyfish1906@reddit
They absolutely are being fired on. That’s a sure bet.
007meow@reddit
Ok smart guy, what do you think happened?
Ok_Geologist_448@reddit
Any confirmation on Pilots being rescued?
CapableCollar@reddit
Israel claims one pilot rescued, Iran claims one pilot captured.
Sir_Sir_ExcuseMe_Sir@reddit
And there's a chance both could be true
BriGuy550@reddit
There’s no confirmation they even survived being shot down…
Crazy__Donkey@reddit
Just heard than on the news
quesoandcats@reddit
https://www.axios.com/2026/04/03/iran-us-fighter-shot-down
11770518@reddit
https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/iran-war-us-trump-warns-more-coming-oil-gas-strait-hormuz/
deleted_by_reddit@reddit
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WorknForTheWeekend@reddit
One second your president is diddling kids, and the next you're wandering the desert half way across the globe so he can take the heat off. life comes at you fast kids
aviation-ModTeam@reddit
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Kmlittlec_design@reddit
CBS reporting 1 of the 2 crew members rescued by US
OP_Skis_In_Jeans@reddit
Reports claim that one of the two pilots has been rescued by the US. https://x.com/sentdefender/status/2040088096511795611
Hopefully the reports are true and the other pilot gets rescued as well.
airport-codes@reddit
I am a bot.
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