US Military Releases Footage of Massive Operation to Rescue Downed Airman Stranded in Iran
Video depicts elite Air Force pararescue operators recovering an injured crew member after an F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down.
The U.S. military has released dramatic video footage documenting a large-scale combat search-and-rescue operation to recover an injured airman stranded deep inside Iran. The incident occurred in April when an F-15E Strike Eagle, with call sign Dude 44, was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile.
The aircraft's two-man crew, pilot Dude44 Alpha and weapons systems officer Dude44 Bravo, ejected and landed miles apart. Dude44 Alpha was rescued within six hours. However, Dude44 Bravo suffered a broken back, arm, and shoulder due to a damaged parachute during his hard landing, leaving him stranded for nearly two days.
Newly released video shows U.S. military helicopters searching for Bravo. Despite his injuries, Bravo moved from his landing site and ascended a roughly 7,000-foot ridgeline. The footage also shows U.S. bombers and drones striking Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces that were in close proximity to Bravo's location.
On April 5, two elite Air Force pararescue operators reached Bravo on the mountain ridgeline. Two large search-and-rescue aircraft had landed on a makeshift desert runway, from which smaller "Little Bird" helicopters transported the rescuers to Bravo's position. Bravo described the moment of his rescue as "one of the greatest moments of my life."
The operation involved 92 U.S. service members on the ground in Iran, marking the first time American forces had operated within the country since 1980. Hundreds more supported the mission from the air, and an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 service members were involved overall. The rescue was complicated when the landing gear of the two rescue aircraft became trapped in desert sand, stranding the crew and rescuers. A specialized Air Force unit was eventually deployed to extract the group.
Bravo was safely recovered approximately 50 hours after the F-15E was initially shot down, with the operation concluding at sunrise on Easter Sunday. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine stated that Iranian ground forces exhibited a clear intent to locate the downed airmen.