“We got him”, US President Donald Trump said on Sunday as he announced the rescue of a missing F-15 fighter jet crew member following a “daring” search and rescue operation. This, according to Trump, was made possible, after the military sent dozens of aircraft, armed with the “most lethal weapons in the world.”
Iran on Friday shot down a US warplane – a two-seat F-15E Strike Eagle – with a pilot and a weapons system officer on board. While the pilot was rescued, the weapons system officer was reported missing.
In a long post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump detailed how the airman was rescued two days after he went missing. He wrote: “At my direction, the US Military sent dozens of aircraft, armed with the most lethal weapons in the World, to retrieve him. He sustained injuries, but he will be just fine.”
Hundreds of special operations troops were involved in the rescue operation, Al Jazeera reported, quoting official sources. The troops went deep into Iranian territory and rescued the airman, who has now been flown out of the country and is now safe.
Al Jazeera reported the dramatic operation, which started in darkness and ended in daylight, “didn’t go entirely as planned.” A firefight reportedly broke out, and it was in the middle of that clash that the US military was able to rescue the airman.
The mission spanning two days involved hundreds of special operation troops, with US aircraft dropping bombs and firing on Iranian convoys to keep them away from the airman’s hiding area, the New York Times reported.
What US Forces Used
The search and rescue operation, termed “miraculous” by Trump took place deep inside the Iranian air defence zone under constant missile and radar threat. US forces reportedly used HH-60W ‘Jolly Green II’ rescue helicopters, A-10 Warthog attack jets, an HC-130 rescue mid-air tanker, F-35 stealth jets at standoff range, special forces and a combat search and rescue special unit.
The Sikorsky HH-60W ‘Jolly Green II’, the US Air Force’s newest dedicated combat search and rescue (CSAR) helicopter, is being called the ‘beast’ of this rescue. The HH-60W Jolly Green II is designed to replace the aging HH-60G Pave Hawk. Built with self-sealing fuel tanks, the ‘beast’ has a long range, advanced sensors for night and bad weather, and a powerful hoist for fast extraction under fire. Its door guns provide close defence during landing, and it has a large cabin for paratroopers and rescue equipment.
HH-60W ‘Jolly Green II’
How The Rescue Happened
The F-15 pilot and weapons systems officer both made contact via their comms systems after ejecting on Friday, Axios reported, quoting two sources.
“The pilot was rescued several hours after the plane was shot down. During that rescue operation, Iran struck a US Black Hawk helicopter, wounding crew members, but it was able to fly on. It took more than a day to locate and rescue the weapons system officer,” Axios reported.
Prior to locating the weapons system officer, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) launched a deception campaign by spreading word inside Iran that US forces had already found him and were attempting a ground exfiltration, a senior administration official told Axios.
The CIA used “unique capabilities” to search for him while the airman traversed mountainous terrain, and evaded locals. The CIA shared the precise location with the White House, the US military, and the Pentagon following which an immediate rescue operation was launched. A special forces team inserted nearby on Saturday night. A-10 Warthog attack jets provided close air cover while Black Hawk choppers raced in under heavy enemy fire.
“Was Never Truly Alone”: Trump On Rescued Crew Member
The rescued crew member, who has not been identified yet, happens to be a “highly respected Colonel”, Trump said, adding that he is now “SAFE and SOUND!”
“This brave Warrior was behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran, being hunted down by our enemies, who were getting closer and closer by the hour, but was never truly alone because his Commander in Chief, Secretary of War, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and fellow Warfighters were monitoring his location 24 hours a day, and diligently planning for his rescue,” Trump said.
Trump revealed that the US military rescued another brave pilot on Saturday. It was not confirmed initially because the US “did not want to jeopardise the secon rescue operation.”
“This is the first time in military memory that two US Pilots have been rescued, separately, deep in Enemy Territory. WE WILL NEVER LEAVE AN AMERICAN WARFIGHTER BEHIND! The fact that we were able to pull off both of these operations, without a SINGLE American killed, or even wounded, just proves once again, that we have achieved overwhelming Air Dominance and Superiority over the Iranian skies. This is a moment that ALL Americans, Republican, Democrat, and everyone else, should be proud of and united around. We truly have the best, most professional, and lethal Military in the History of the World. GOD BLESS AMERICA, GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS, AND HAPPY EASTER TO ALL! (sic)” Trump wrote.
What Iran Said On US Rescue Operation
Tehran had offered a reward of about $66,000 to citizens who captured the missing airman alive, Iranian media reported. Iranian authorities, however, have not released any statement on the rescue of the second US airman.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said a US aircraft that had been searching for the crewmember of a missing American fighter jet had been destroyed.
IRGC PR: A U.S. enemy #aircraft searching for the downed fighter pilot was destroyed in southern Isfahan. Further details to follow.#Iran #IRGC #BreakingNews #Pilot #War pic.twitter.com/UeJWSDPbJo
— Consulate General of the I.R. Iran in Mumbai (@IRANinMumbai) April 5, 2026
“An American enemy aircraft that was searching for the pilot of a downed fighter jet was destroyed by the fighters of Islam in the southern region of Isfahan,” the Tasnim news agency quoted the Guards as saying.
According to the spokesperson of Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the unified command of the Iranian armed forces, the downed aircraft included a C-130 military transport plane in the south of Isfahan, and two Black Hawk helicopters. The Iranian army also reportedly downed an Israeli drone.
This handout photo provided by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) official website Sepah News on April 5, 2026 reportedly shows the wreckage and remains of targeted and crashed aircraft in central Iran.
“The enemy’s intruding aircrafts in southern Isfahan – including two Black Hawk helicopters and one C-130 military transport aircraft — were struck and are now burning,” the military’s central command said.
It added that the rescue operation had “failed” and at least five people were killed.