US Air Force Confirms Seven Aircraft Lost in Iran War
Friday's downing of two American warplanes in separate engagements — an Air Force F-15 and an A-10 — pushed the total confirmed count of manned aircraft losses to seven, per the network's report.
The losses stretch back to the earliest days of the conflict. On March 2, three F-15s were accidentally brought down by Kuwaiti air defenses in a friendly fire incident over Kuwaiti airspace. All six crew members aboard the jets ejected safely. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed this week that the three pilots involved have since returned to active combat missions targeting Iran.
The toll deepened on March 12, when a KC-135 refueling tanker crashed in Iraq, claiming the lives of six US service members. US military officials stated the tanker was involved in a mid-air incident with another aircraft during Operation Epic Fury — the codename assigned to the US offensive against Iran that was launched on Feb. 28. The second aircraft involved was able to land safely.
Then on March 27, an E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control aircraft was reportedly destroyed on the ground when Iranian forces struck Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. The attack left at least 10 US service members injured, though no fatalities were confirmed. A US Air Force tanker was also reported damaged in the same strike.
Adding to the toll, media — citing two sources with direct knowledge of the matter — reported that a US F-35 fighter jet was compelled to make an emergency landing at an undisclosed American base in the Middle East last month after sustaining damage from what is believed to have been Iranian fire.
The escalating losses come amid a broader regional crisis triggered when the United States and Israel launched a joint offensive against Iran on Feb. 28. The campaign has killed more than 1,340 people to date, among them then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. In response, Tehran has unleashed waves of drone and missile strikes against Israel, as well as Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf states that host US military installations.
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