Click to see full-size image. (U.S. Central Command)
Another United States warplane involved in the war in Iran crashed in the Persian Gulf on April 3, The New York Times reported, citing two American officials.
According to the report, the A-10 Thunderbolt II attack jet went down near the Strait of Hormuz at around the same time that an F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet was shot down over Iran. The report said the pilot from the jet was safely rescued. The U.S. officials did not provide further details on how the plane crashed.
Later, the Iranian military said that the jet was targeted by its air defenses over the Islamic Republic’s southern waters, close to the Strait of Hormuz.
The production of the A-10, mainly used for close air support, stopped all the way back in 1984. At the time it cost just under $10 million.
The report of the aerial loss came amid an extensive U.S. military search and rescue operation in the southwestern Iranian province of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, where the F-15E was shot down earlier in the day. One of two crew members of the jet has been reportedly rescued, while the fate of the second remains unclear.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which claimed responsibility for downing the jet, said that its forces were searching for the crew members, along with locals.
The search and rescue operation has so far resulted in some losses. American news channel Newsmax reported that a Black Hawk helicopter — most likely a HH-60G Pave Hawk used by special forces — was hit while taking part in the daring operation. According to the report, the helicopter managed to exit Iranian territory safely and land securely.
A later report by American NBC News said that not just one, but two helicopters were hit during the ongoing search and rescue operation.
Two photos that emerged online amid the operation did show a Black Hawk helicopter with a trail of smoke. These photos have not been verified yet, however. A single Black Hawk helicopter could cost more than $20 million, depending on the version.
Click to see full-size image. (X)
Click to see full-size image. (X)
In a separate incident, a U.S. Air Force F-16CJ Wild Weasel fighter jet — specialized in hunting air defenses — was noted on aviation tracking websites flying in an area around the Iraq-Iran border while squawked 7700, the universal, international transponder code used by aircraft to immediately alert Air Traffic Control of a general emergency.
A similar situation was noted with a KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling tanker aircraft of the U.S. Air Force that was flying over Israel.
The recent American losses may be a sign that Iran air defense capabilities are recovering. With the search and rescue operation ongoing in Iran ongoing, the U.S. Air Force could take more losses.
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go iran! 🇮🇷🙏💪💪💪🙏🇮🇷
if iran squad-iran went on the internet the get the usa frequency s for all pilots beacons dum
its been a bad day for the ziorats
stupid muriclowns shot to pieces for diaper wearing zionist inbreds.
poohtin has lost 500,000 in ukraine…heheheh
what site do you get your info from ?
sadness in southfug… hahahahahaha
fafo usa!
invade now motherfugers!
is donny on a air craft carrier saying mission acccomplished yet
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