Iran shooting down two American military aircraft marks a highly unusual setback for the United States, one not seen in more than two decades, and underscores Tehran’s continued ability to retaliate despite President Donald Trump saying its forces have been effectively crippled. The incidents occurred about five weeks after US and Israeli airstrikes first struck Iran, and after Trump had said Iran’s capacity to launch missiles and drones was greatly reduced.
US officials say an F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down on Friday; one service member was rescued and search efforts continued for a second crewmember. Iranian state media also reported that an A-10 attack aircraft crashed after being engaged by Iranian defense forces.
Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Houston Cantwell, a former F-16 pilot, noted the last US fighter lost in combat was an A-10 struck over Baghdad in April 2003. He emphasized that the long absence of such losses reflected the fact that recent US operations were often against insurgents with limited air-defence capabilities, and that current losses are a reminder of the risks when facing a state actor with more sophisticated systems.
Analysts say a shoulder-fired, portable missile is the likeliest weapon used against the F-15. Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director for the Iran program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, cautioned that a disabled air-defence network is not the same as a destroyed one. He pointed out that US aircraft have been flying at lower altitudes, which increases exposure to Iran’s missiles, and that portable systems are harder to detect. Taleblu described Iran as weakened but still capable and fighting for survival.
Mark Cancian, a retired Marine colonel and senior defense adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, agreed a MANPADS type missile was probable. He still judged the broader American air campaign a significant success so far, but he warned of political fallout: a US public accustomed to low-casualty conflicts may find any losses unacceptable.
US Central Command has said American forces have flown more than 13,000 missions in the campaign while striking over 12,300 targets. Even so, the distinction between air superiority and air supremacy matters: holding the sky in practice does not mean all enemy air-defence systems are eliminated.
In high-threat environments such as over Iran, Cantwell explained, pilots are trained and highly alert to incoming threats, which can be either infrared- or radar-guided and require different evasive measures. If a plane is hit, aviators practice post-ejection survival procedures, checking for injuries, establishing communication, and signaling their location for rescue. He noted adversaries may attempt to intercept or spoof those rescue communications.
Rescue crews that respond, often using helicopters, face additional danger. Helicopters are especially vulnerable because they operate lower and slower, making them easier targets. Cantwell praised those who carried out recent rescue attempts as brave and honorable.
Crewed US aircraft losses over Iran are not entirely without precedent. In 1980, a mission to rescue US embassy hostages in Tehran was aborted after mechanical failures and dust storms; as aircraft were departing, rotor blades on an RH-53 collided with an EC-130, both exploded, and eight service members died. More recently, in 2005 an MH-47 Chinook was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade in Afghanistan, killing 16.
The current events are a reminder that even when one side appears dominant in the air, contested environments and asymmetric threats can still produce costly setbacks. Experts stress that continued vigilance, tactics to mitigate low-altitude exposure, and careful assessment of political as well as military costs will shape the next phase of the conflict.
