Overnight, the U.S. military pulled off one of the most difficult missions in the playbook: the rescue of a downed aircrew deep inside enemy territory.
Easter morning, an F-15E weapons systems officer was extracted from atop a 7,000-foot ridge in southwestern Iran, having been on the run since Friday (this sounds sort of Biblical, doesn't it).
This is how the operation played out. Mind you, it is all based on reports patched together from various sources. U.S. Central Command has yet to issue a statement on either the loss of the aircraft or the successful rescue of the flight crew. President Trump was not quite that constrained; see 'WE GOT HIM!' President Trump Responds As Second Airman Is Rescued From Enemy Territory in Iran – RedState.
SEQUENCE OF EVENTS
Friday morning, April 3. An F-15E Strike Eagle was apparently hit by Iranian fire near the village of Talkhuncheh, Isfahan Province, Iran. There is a lot of boasting from the Iranians about an advanced passive infrared detection system used to guide a missile. There are online accounts linking the downing to Russian ships arriving at Iranian ports. We don't know the cause, but based on the history of the Operation Epic Fury air campaign, the plane going down from a bird strike is just as likely as an Iranian anti-aircraft missile. Both pilot and weapons systems officer (WSO) eject.
When the pilots punched out, they would have transmitted a MAYDAY on Guard frequency. This would have alerted the Combat Search and Rescue element that was on standby. The WSO, who is reported to be a lieutenant colonel, is reportedly injured during ejection. This is not unusual. Within a short period of time, an image of one of the ejection seats appears on social media.
🔴 Un siège éjectable McDonnell-Douglas ACES II (Advanced Concept Ejection Seat) provenant d'un F-15E Strike Eagle de l'US Air Force a été retrouvé par des habitants du sud de l'Iran.
— air plus news (@airplusnews) April 3, 2026
On ignore actuellement où se trouvent le pilote. pic.twitter.com/jXxWNpi4Bs
The pilots have some emergency supplies, including a radio and a personal defense weapon that is stored under the seat.
🇺🇸 This is the type of weapon reportedly carried by the downed pilot / weapons systems officer in Iran — the GAU-5A.
— NSTRIKE (@NSTRIKE1231) April 3, 2026
🔺 It is a compact, disassembled rifle based on the AR-15 platform, designed specifically for survival in special missions.
▪️ 12.5-inch barrel (5.56 caliber)
▪️… pic.twitter.com/tONIbnHFuN
Within a short period of time, a CSAR element composed of an MC-130J refueling aircraft and two HH-60 "Jolly Green" 2 helicopters was spotted near the scene. I know, you're asking why they are called "Jolly Green" 2 helicopters. The original "Jolly Green Giant" was the HH-53B designed for CSAR work during the Vietnam War. The name stuck.
The HH-60s are armed with 7.62mm Gatling-style miniguns and carry USAF pararescue jumpers, PJs, with them.USAF HC-130 refueling a pair of HH-60G Pavehawks over Iran while searching for the downed F-15E aircrew today. pic.twitter.com/V5Xgs5Ew5t
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) April 3, 2026
At this point, the story becomes more than a little unclear. There was obviously a time lag between the pilot and WSO un-assing the aircraft, and they became separated. The CSAR flight locates the pilot fairly expeditiously and extracts him under fire. According to reports, both HH-60s are hit by ground fire, and some members of the crew are injured. Taking the voiceover in the video seriously could result in brain damage to your future children or grandchildren.
During the Vietnam Era, any CSAR mission had at least one A-1 Skyraider (they were called "Spads," no one called the Skyraiders) flying top cover to keep enemy ground forces from approaching. Now, the A-10 Thunderbolt II (Warthogs, no one has ever called the A-10 by its official name) aircraft provides the muscle. One of them was his by groundfire and allegedly ditched over the ocean. The Iranians say four of their men were killed, which is a transparent lie, as no Warthog has ever killed just four of anything.
🚨 Reports from locals speaking to Iranian media indicate that Islamic Republic forces are transferring large numbers of dead and wounded IRGC troops, along with Basij terrorists, from Black Mountain to Dehdasht Hospital.
— Mossad Commentary (@MOSSADil) April 5, 2026
The casualties reportedly follow USAF strikes targeting…
By this time, the WSO has decided to get out of the area and has started hiking toward the ridge visible in the background of the video. All pilots go through SERE training (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape), so he had at least some academic knowledge of what he needed to do. He probably used his rescue beacon periodically to let CENTCOM know he was alive, but not long enough to let the Iranians direction find him.
When the CSAR package cleared the area and reported they only recovered one of the aircrew, sphincters slammed shut all through CENTCOM like the crack of doom. A full-blown political crisis was brewing. What's worse is that our European, cough, cough, allies joined the Democrats in gleefully rubbing their hands together in anticipation of the missing WSO being killed or captured. Bets were placed on the outcome; see Shameful: Polymarket Deletes Wager on Whether Downed F-15E Pilots Would Live or Die – RedState.) Fortunately, CENTCOM had the right guys available at the right time. A hasty task force of the Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and the Navy's DEVGRU, also known as SEAL Team Six, was created.
While the rescue operation is spinning up seemingly in Kuwait, our intrepid WSO hikes about 5 miles, gains about 7,000 feet of altitude, and goes to ground in a hide position, allegedly a rock crevice. All the while, he is overwatched by MQ-9 Reaper drones, which keep any Iranian pursuers at bay. Allegedly, two of these unmanned guardian angels were shot down, but the only source for that is the Iranian government. The Iranian government rushes IRGC goons and Basij goblins to the area and places a $60,000 reward, which in present-day Iran is about half the national budget, on the WSO's head.
There were reports of Iranian civilians blocking roads to obstruct IRGC and Basij personnel heading to search for the hiding WSO. While I'd like to believe it, I find it unlikely given the current state of affairs.
BREAKING: Civilians are reportedly flooding the streets to block IRGC and Basij convoys racing toward the downed pilot. pic.twitter.com/7LW8vhn4tz
— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) April 4, 2026
Now the improbable happens.
🚨 BREAKING: The whole world is in awe on Easter Sunday after the US carried out a MASTERCLASS rescue of our airman in Iran
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) April 5, 2026
“The CIA was using deception tactics on the ground to make the Iranians think they’d already located the pilot!”
“This crewman was inside enemy territory… pic.twitter.com/mGvByxa3PD
I don't believe for one second that the CIA had any role in this because a) I'm not sure the CIA could find its butt with both hands, and b) I don't see how a "deception plan could have been ginned up, employed, and get effects in the few hours available to it. We've also virtually subcontracted covert activities in Iran to Israel, so I find it hard to believe this is anything but a bureaucratic scramble for credit.
Video from the area released by Iranian sources doesn't seem to indicate that anyone was fooled about the general location of the missing man.
🚨 BREAKING: Video from Southwestern Iran appears to show civilians and security forces rushing towards the area believed to be where the US military is attempting to rescue our F-15 crew member
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) April 5, 2026
No update on our WSO’s status yet.
It’s a race against the clock. pic.twitter.com/ZNUvqsGRIp
This may be true, and when President Trump or Secretary of War Pete Hegseth congratulates the CIA, I might begrudgingly apologize. But not today.
Then we come to the climax. Two C-130s land on a dirt strip, probably a road, some distance from the WSO's location, and establish a forward operating base inside Iran.
Details about the rescue op for the U.S. Weapon Systems Officer, via a U.S. military official:
— Michael Weiss (@michaeldweiss) April 5, 2026
"The mountain top area on the left is where the WSO was hiding (he ejected 5ish miles northwest of there). The right area is the makeshift landing strip where they landed 2 C-130s… pic.twitter.com/iYJkzd5eTP
The aircraft carried members of 160th SOAR and DEVGRU, along with a couple of MH-6 Little Bird helicopters. Because the C-130s could carry 128 troops in the jump seat configuration, I would speculate that Army Rangers were aboard to defend the forward operating base and act as a reaction force if things went pear-shaped.
The mission goes like clockwork at first. The MH-6s locate the WSO and extract him. They return to the forward operating base. Then our friend Mr. Murphy intervenes. While the temporary landing strip had been sufficient for landing, the C-130's landing gear became mired in the soft soil. Three Dash-8 aircraft, which no one has definitively identified as Army or Air Force, landed and picked up the CSAR team.
They left behind the C-130 and MH-6, which were either blown up by the departing team or were bombed by overwatching aircraft.
Remains of the USAF M/HC-130 Hercules transport aircraft destroyed by US forces before departing their forward base in Iran, used successfully to recover the downed F-15 aircrew.
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) April 5, 2026
The aircraft had reportedly become stuck in the soft ground and were blown up to avoid capture. pic.twitter.com/bSzjIsRx3h
Looks like a MH-6 Little Bird helicopter was also torched pic.twitter.com/JZNznPVt9m
— Byron Banger (@ByronBanger) April 5, 2026
The Iranians did recover war trophies.
The regime in Iran couldn't capture the pilots, but did capture American toothpaste.
— 𝐍𝐢𝐨𝐡 𝐁𝐞𝐫𝐠 🇮🇷 ✡︎ (@NiohBerg) April 5, 2026
Not sure if they've ever seen this scary and new invention before. pic.twitter.com/4WKtdpGIRC
The most priceless trophy is a pair of American Eagle boxers (get your three-pack for $23.50). This was undoubtedly meant to be left behind because no one on this mission packed extra undies. Some free advice, habibi, if the SEALs left this underwear for you, you probably should wear a hazmat suit and get all your shots updated before handling it.
The Iranians will probably ignore the scorch marks and convert them into commemorative headgear.
The rescue mission did have one critical failure. When U.S. forces destroyed the aircraft, they missed the most sensitive material of all. Basij militiamen combing through the wreckage have recovered a pair of red, white, and blue American underwear.
— Mike (@Doranimated) April 5, 2026
Expect a full… pic.twitter.com/TVSp8paJNK
According to the Iranians, having Americans come into your crib, set up shop, rescue downed aircrew, kill your thugs, and blow up your stuff is a victory. So happy "We Beat the Great Satan" day to all of you.
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