New information has emerged about one of the more unusual incidents reported during Operation Epic Fury: the downing of three U.S. fighter jets over Kuwait, shortly after an Iranian drone strike that killed six American service members.
According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, the incident was the result of a misidentification. A Kuwaiti Air Force F/A-18 mistakenly fired three missiles at U.S. F-15 aircraft after they appeared on local radar systems. All three jets were hit, but the pilots successfully ejected and were later rescued without injury.
The incident marks a relatively rare case of the F-15 being shot down. Its service record with both the USA and Israel has often been noted for an impressively small number of combat losses and even fewer air-to-air losses.
Meanwhile, the United States military released the names of four of the six personnel killed earlier in the Iranian drone attack in Kuwait: Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida.; Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska.; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, and Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa.
Videos circulating on social media show one of the damaged aircraft spiraling through the air moments before crashing to the ground. Other clips capture the pilots after parachuting to safety. In one recording, a local civilian is heard asking a pilot, “Do you need anything? Are you OK? Thank you for helping us." In another video, a local resident initially threatens one of the downed pilots, apparently mistaking him for an Iranian soldier, before the situation de-escalates.