A U.S. rescue mission inside Iran highlighted the speed and precision of elite combat search and rescue forces, showing a best-case example of military coordination under pressure, retired Navy pilot Matthew Buckley told Newsmax on Sunday.
"The combat search and rescue folks, this was their Super Bowl. These folks eat, breathe, and sleep combat search and rescue," Buckley said. "The instant that this aircrew ejected out of the aircraft, a well-oiled machine kicked into operation."
Buckley said rescue teams mobilized immediately after two aircrew members ejected over hostile territory.
One of the crew members, a weapons systems officer, was injured during the ejection or landing and evaded capture for about 36 hours before being recovered.
Buckley noted the difficulty of the situation, emphasizing that fighter pilots receive limited parachute training.
"We're not trained to do any parachuting. We just do it," he said, adding the ejection was likely the airman's first real parachute experience.
He credited U.S. Air Force pararescue teams with executing the recovery, along with intelligence support from the CIA, including a deception effort that helped mislead Iranian forces.
"The results we see right now, it's a pretty incredible tale," Buckley said, pointing to the coordination behind the mission.
Buckley also highlighted the broader performance of U.S. operations in the region, citing a high mission success rate despite limited aircraft losses.
"Over 13,000 combat sorties have been flown, losing two aircraft," he said. "That's a 99.98 mission success rate. Ain't nobody else on the planet able to pull off a mission success rate like that."
He added that no other military is capable of mounting a comparable rescue behind enemy lines, calling the operation a testament to U.S. capabilities.
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