Rare incident: US F-15 pilot was reportedly shot down twice in Kuwait and Iran within weeks

In what could be a remarkable and rare case from the ongoing US-led war against Iran, one US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle pilot was downed twice in under five weeks, according to a report by “The High Side”, self-described as “in-depth US national security reporting”.

The aviator first survived a Kuwaiti friendly fire incident in early March 2026 before being shot down by Iranian forces in April.

On March 1, three US F-15E Strike Eagles were mistakenly engaged and shot down over Kuwait amid chaotic combat operations.

Kuwaiti air defenses, reportedly including a Kuwaiti F/A-18 Hornet that fired three missiles, downed the jets while US and allied forces responded to Iranian aircraft, drones, and ballistic missiles.

All six crew members ejected safely and were recovered in stable condition. Kuwait acknowledged the incident.

The pilots, including the one later involved in the Iran shootdown, quickly returned to operations.

By late March, some had resumed combat missions, including strikes on Iranian targets.

On April 3, the same F-15E pilot was at the controls when Iranian forces shot down his Strike Eagle over southwestern Iran, according to current and former Air Force officials cited by “The High Side”.

The jet was hit, forcing both the pilot and weapons systems officer (WSO) to eject. The pilot was rescued relatively quickly by US forces.

The WSO faced a more harrowing ordeal after a parachute malfunction caused injuries.

He evaded capture for about 48 hours in rugged terrain before a high-risk combat search-and-rescue operation involving JSOC elements, such as SEAL Team 6 operators and helicopters, extracted him.

Military sources describe this as likely the first instance of a US fixed-wing Air Force pilot being shot down twice in the same conflict since the Vietnam War.