Three US F-15s Downed in Friendly Fire Incident in Kuwait; All Crew Safe

An F-15E Strike Eagle flies in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility Jan. 27, 2021. The F-15E is a dual-role fighter designed to perform air-to-air and air-to-ground missions, demonstrating U.S. Air Force Central Command’s posture to defend and deter against potential aggression. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Sean Carnes)

Three U.S. fighter jets were shot down in an apparent friendly fire incident over Kuwait during active combat operations, according to United States Central Command (CENTCOM).

In a statement issued Sunday, CENTCOM said three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles flying in support of Operation Epic Fury went down at approximately 11:03 p.m. ET on March 1 after being mistakenly engaged by Kuwaiti air defenses.

The incident occurred amid ongoing hostilities that included attacks by Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles and drones, the statement said.

All six aircrew members aboard the aircraft ejected safely and were recovered. They are reported to be in stable condition.

Kuwait has acknowledged the incident, CENTCOM said, adding that U.S. officials expressed appreciation for the support of Kuwaiti defense forces during the recovery efforts.

The cause of the friendly fire incident remains under investigation, the U.S. military said, adding that more details will be released as they become available.

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Muhammad Luqman is Associate Editor at Views News Now. He writes on wide-ranging issues including economy, South Asia, the Middle East, agriculture, economy and innovation. Luqman has worked some of the leading news organizations and won acclaim for his original and research-based works.

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