Rescue Choppers Hit by Iran Fire as F-15E Crew Member Remains Missing

Two U.S. military helicopters, including a U.S. Air Force UH‑60 Black Hawk and a second search‑and‑rescue aircraft, were struck by Iranian fire on Friday while attempting to recover a downed F‑15E pilot.

The helicopters were not destroyed, a source familiar with the matter told The Hill.

The F‑15E was shot down by Iranian forces inside Iran, marking the first U.S. fighter lost in Iranian territory since the conflict began in late February, according to reporting from Time and Straight Arrow News.

One U.S. airman was rescued, a U.S. official said, while the status of the pilot remained unknown, the Pentagon briefed the House Armed Services Committee, a congressional aide told The Hill.

Iranian state media circulated photos of what it claimed were F‑15E debris and, according to The Daily Beast and The Guardian, encouraged civilians to shoot down U.S. aircraft and turn over any captured pilots to authorities.

U.S. President Donald Trump declined to comment on what the United States would do if the downed pilot is injured or captured, telling reporters that “we hope that’s not going to happen,” Newsmax reported.

The incident comes amid reports that Russia has provided Iran with targeting intelligence that could help Tehran strike U.S. military assets more precisely, while China is reportedly supplying satellite navigation, advanced radar, and communications technology that may indirectly enhance Iran’s strike capabilities, U.S. and European officials told Newsmax.

A second U.S. combat aircraft, an A‑10 Warthog, reportedly went down near the Strait of Hormuz around the same time as the F‑15E, but the pilot was safely rescued, The New York Times reported.

Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton, a military analyst, said the downing of the F‑15E shows Tehran retains dangerous anti‑aircraft capabilities and raises questions about U.S. claims of uncontested air superiority, CNN reported.

Multiple international outlets, including The Economic Times, noted that the incident challenges assertions from Washington and illustrates that layered Iranian air defenses and passive detection systems pose serious risks to U.S. operations.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf mocked U.S. military claims on X, ridiculing Washington for failing to locate its pilot and questioning the effectiveness of American strategy, The Hill reported.

The episode underscored the heightened danger to U.S. forces operating in Iranian airspace, with Russia and China’s assistance potentially increasing Tehran’s battlefield awareness and operational reach, intensifying scrutiny in Washington over force protection measures, according to Newsmax and The Guardian.