A U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle went down over southern Iran. Some reports say that one of the two-man air crew was rescued and is in U.S. custody. The aircraft has a pilot and weapons systems officer. This was the first aircraft to be downed over Iran during Operation Epic Fury. It is unknown if it was downed by enemy fire or crashed due to mechanical problems.
The F-15E Strike Eagle is a dual-role fighter designed to perform air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. An array of avionics and electronics systems gives the F-15E the capability to fight at low altitude, day or night and in all weather.
The aircraft uses two crew members, a pilot and a weapon systems officer. Previous models of the F-15 are assigned air-to-air roles; the “E” model is a dual-role fighter. It has the capability to fight its way to a target over long ranges, destroy enemy ground positions and fight its way out.
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Top photo: A U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle assigned to 494th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron lands at a base in the Middle East, January 18, 2026. Courtesy photo CENTCOM.
Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle Fact Sheet.
McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle. Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_F-15E_Strike_Eagle
