A US Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II was downed near the Strait of Hormuz on April 3, while participating in rescue operations for the crew of an F-15E Strike Eagle shot down over Iran the same day, according to multiple US officials cited by CBS News and The New York Times.
The A-10 was reportedly struck during combat operations tied to the conflict with Iran. The pilot ejected over the Persian Gulf and was subsequently rescued.
The incident occurred as US forces launched a search-and-rescue mission for the two-person crew of the downed F-15E. One crew member from the F-15E was recovered, while the search for the second continued as of Friday evening
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Iranian state media claimed the A-10 was targeted by Iranian air defenses in southern waters near the Strait of Hormuz. Images circulated by Iranian outlets also purported to show aircraft wreckage and an ejection seat, though it remained unclear whether these were from the A-10 or the F-15E.
CBS reported that a helicopter involved in the rescue mission was hit by small-arms fire, resulting in injuries to crew members, but managed to land safely.
The downing of the F-15E marks the first manned US aircraft loss to enemy fire during Operation Epic Fury. Previous incidents include a US F-35 hit over Iran on March 19, which managed an emergency landing, and a March 1 friendly fire event in which three F-15Es were shot down by a Kuwaiti F/A-18, with all crew members recovered.
The A-10 has played an increased role in maritime interdiction and other combat operations along the southern edges of the conflict, targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fast-attack watercraft in the Strait of Hormuz, according to US Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine.
