The downing of two U.S. warplanes by Iran may have been the result of a pre-planned ambush aided by lapses in operational discipline, retired Army Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer said Saturday.
“I think this was a setup. I think some of our guys got lazy. I’ve seen this movie before and the Iranians knew where the IP (initial point) is,” Shaffer said on Newsmax TV’s “Saturday Agenda,” suggesting Iranian forces may have anticipated U.S. flight patterns and maneuver points.
"They probably knew where the planes were coming in and turning. I think this is how they were able to do it as a triple ambush," he added.
The U.S. military is now conducting a high-risk search and rescue operation following the incident, which marks the first confirmed loss of American aircraft in more than 13,000 sorties flown during recent operations, according to Shaffer.
One crew member has been rescued, while efforts continue to locate a second service member believed to be missing.
The recovered pilot was flying an F-15E Strike Eagle, a ground-attack aircraft used in precision strike missions.
Combat search and rescue teams, including Air Force pararescuemen, have been deployed to recover the remaining crew member.
The missions are being carried out primarily at night using HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopters, which are designed for personnel recovery in contested environments. Those aircraft have come under fire during the operation, highlighting the danger facing rescue crews.
“The moment something like this happens where an aviator goes down… everything in the region focuses on that,” Shaffer said, describing how such incidents immediately shift military priorities.
Shaffer, who said he has participated in similar missions, described the role of elite rescue personnel.
“You have these the PJs, the parajumpers… who carry out these very specific missions,” he said.
He added that U.S. forces may have indications of the second crew member’s location.
“There’s rumors that they may know where the second crew member is,” Shaffer said.
Shaffer characterized the incident as a significant escalation after weeks of sustained operations without losses.
“This is the first aircraft that’s confirmed downed in over 13,000 sorties,” he said.
He also described the attack as potentially involving multiple targets. “They hit the helicopter, they hit an A-10… this was something orchestrated and planned,” Shaffer said, referring to what he characterized as a “triple ambush.”
U.S. officials have not publicly confirmed those details, and the Pentagon has not released a full account of the incident. Recovery efforts remain ongoing as military officials assess the circumstances surrounding the downing
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Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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