Two US Rescue Helicopters Targeted by Iranian Fire During F-15E Crew Recovery Mission
Two US HH-60G rescue helicopters came under Iranian ground fire during a mission to recover the crew of a downed F-15E in southern Iran. All helicopter crew members survived, though some sustained wounds.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - A rescue mission became a crisis of its own on Friday. Two US Air Force helicopters sent to locate the crew of a downed F-15E Strike Eagle in southern Iran came under heavy fire from Iranian ground forces, a senior American official confirmed to NBC News.
The development pushed an already volatile military situation in the region to an even more dangerous threshold.
According to information relayed by NBC News from a senior American official, both aircraft were HH-60G helicopters — a variant specifically designed for combat search and rescue (CSAR) operations.
The two helicopters were carrying out a humanitarian and military mission to locate the crew of the F-15E Strike Eagle that had been downed earlier the same day in southern Iran, the first American warplane confirmed shot down by Iranian fire since Operation Epic Fury began on Feb. 28, 2026.
News sources including Newsmax reported that the helicopters were subjected to intense fire from Iranian ground forces. Despite coming under attack, the source confirmed that all members of the helicopter crews were safe and that there had been no fatalities among them.
CBS News also reported that the helicopter carrying the rescued pilot came under fire, wounding members of the crew aboard. The helicopter landed safely, and all military personnel received initial medical treatment before being transferred for further care.
A day of cascading losses
Friday's helicopter incident compounded what had already become the most punishing single day for American air power since Operation Epic Fury began. Earlier in the day, an A-10 Warthog attack plane crashed near the Strait of Hormuz and fell into the waters of the Gulf, with its pilot's status remaining uncertain as search operations continued.
Also at the same day, the F-15E Strike Eagle was downed over Iranian territory, setting off the very rescue operation that would itself come under fire hours later. One of the F-15E's two crew members was recovered from Iranian soil, while the fate of the second airman remained unclear.
US and Israeli officials acknowledged that the shootdown created major military and diplomatic challenges for Washington.