Iran displays wreckage of downed US and 'Israeli' aircraft
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
- Iran’s Press TV released images it said show US aircraft and drone wreckage recovered after the war.
- The displayed debris appears to include an F-15E Strike Eagle and engines from an MC-130J lost during an April rescue operation.
Iran’s state-run Press TV published images Friday showing what it described as the wreckage of US aircraft and drones shot down or destroyed during the war.
The images appear to show remnants of a US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet, several unmanned aircraft and what appear to be engines from an MC-130J Commando special operations aircraft.
“Images of US-Israeli aircraft shot down by the IRGC Aerospace Force’s newly developed air defense system,” Press TV said in a caption accompanying the images, referring to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force.
F-15 lost during April operation
The F-15 and MC-130 wreckage displayed appear to correspond to the only known incident in which those two aircraft types were lost in Iran.
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On April 3, a US F-15 was hit by anti-aircraft fire over Iran, forcing its two-member crew to eject. Both service members were later recovered by US Special Operations forces.
During the subsequent rescue operation, two of four MC-130 aircraft involved became stuck on a makeshift desert airstrip and were destroyed, according to reports at the time.
Drone losses remain unclear
The display also included wreckage of several drones. The US lost a number of unmanned aircraft during the war, but the Pentagon has not publicly confirmed detailed information about the number or specific systems lost.
Press TV did not identify the location where the wreckage was displayed. The images appear to have been taken inside a large underground facility or bunker.
The display comes as Tehran continues to highlight what it describes as the effectiveness of its air defenses against US and ‘Israeli’ military operations.
