Two U.S. Aircraft Lost in a Single Day: F-15E Shot Down Over Iran, A-10 Hit Near Hormuz

On April 3, 2026, Iran shot down a U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle over Iranian territory — the first manned American aircraft downed by enemy fire since Operation Epic Fury began over five weeks ago.

The F-15E carries a two-person crew: a pilot and a weapon systems officer (WSO). One crew member was rescued by American forces in a search-and-rescue operation inside Iran. The second crew member remains missing, with Iranian media claiming to have located them and offering a bounty.

The shootdown demolishes the administration's narrative on multiple levels:

• Two days earlier, Trump told the nation in a prime-time address that the war was "nearing completion" and Iran's military capabilities were "just about used up"
• "Their air force is gone" — Trump's claim from the same speech. Iran just demonstrated it can still shoot down the most advanced fighter jets in America's fleet
• The 2-minute briefings showed "stuff blowing up." Now an American crew member is missing in enemy territory
• This is the war Trump is "bored" with — but someone's family is waiting to learn if their loved one is alive

On the same day, a U.S. A-10 Warthog was hit by Iranian fire near the Strait of Hormuz. The lone pilot ejected over the Persian Gulf and was safely rescued. The aircraft reached Kuwaiti airspace before the pilot bailed out. A rescue helicopter involved in operations was also fired upon by Iranian forces.

Two aircraft lost in a single day. Iranian state media published photos of F-15E wreckage (initially misidentified as an F-35). Combined with the $500M THAAD radar, $300M AWACS, Kuwaiti friendly fire, and the KC-135 crash, total U.S. equipment losses now exceed $1 billion — and one American may be a prisoner of war in a country the president said was "beaten."