Three US F-15Es Lost Over Kuwait, Friendly Fire, All Survived, 3/1/26

Kenny Phillips

Kenny Phillips

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Kenny Phillips
"US Central Command said on Monday morning that at 11:01 p.m. on Sunday, "three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles flying in support of Operation Epic Fury went down over Kuwait due to an apparent friendly fire incident."

"During active combat — that included attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones — the U.S. Air Force fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses," it said.

It said all six of the aircrew ejected safely and were safely recovered, and are now in stable condition."

That's a mighty expensive incident; happy that all are safe.
 
I always was more afraid of our stuff then their stuff…tough way to qual for a watch…glad they were all in relative good shape.
 
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Friend or foe, I don’t know, just let that Fox fly, Bro!
 
Bob Noel said:
yes, happy that all are safe.

and I expect people to learn from the mistakes made. (learn, not get railroaded)
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Don't hold your breath. There's not much to learn here that wasn't learned from our prior imprudences in the middle east. Specifically as it pertains to joint ops with our "partners"over there. I'd elucidate, but this isn't the forum.

BL, better lucky than good. Statistically, the next boo boo will kill a crew, and they all know it. CENTCOM press comm is Baghdad Bob boilerplate, not different than our days in Vietnam. Not many adults in charge these days, compared to 1991, or heck even 2001. Aaaand IBTL.
 
hindsight2020 said:
Don't hold your breath. There's not much to learn here that wasn't learned from our prior imprudences in the middle east. Specifically as it pertains to joint ops with our "partners"over there. I'd elucidate, but this isn't the forum.

BL, better lucky than good. Statistically, the next boo boo will kill a crew, and they all know it. CENTCOM press comm is Baghdad Bob boilerplate, not different than our days in Vietnam. Not many adults in charge these days, compared to 1991, or heck even 2001. Aaaand IBTL.
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Please do elaborate.
 
We’re is central command , people should be talking to each other.you can’t assume the area is safe.
 
Apparently Kuwaiti missiles. They must have defeated the IFF to get a lock. They better be writing us a ~$300M check. Glad the pilots are in one piece. Are the seats Martin Baker?
 
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Barrett50 said:
Apparently Kuwaiti missiles. They must have defeated the IFF to get a lock. They better be writing us a ~$100M check. Glad the pilots are in one piece. Are the seats Martin Baker?
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$100M won’t cover 3 Strike Eagles…not even close now.

Eagles have Aces II ejection seats.
 
Same thing happened in the early stages of OIF. An F-18 and a Tornado were shot down through bad IFF interrogations. I was glad the Patriots were gone when I got there. Our Mode 4 sucked half the time.
 
Velocity173 said:
Same thing happened in the early stages of OIF. An F-18 and a Tornado were shot down through bad IFF interrogations. I was glad the Patriots were gone when I got there. Our Mode 4 sucked half the time.
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Early in Desert Storm we quickly found out that those of us in the EA-6B jamming some appropriate targets would wipe out our own mode IV keying so even when we stopped jamming Mode IV was useless. I had someone go over us one night over Iraq so close the canopy jumped.

Why did it take us a war to figure this out? Because in all our Red Flags and Fallon exercises we had do not jam frequencies to protect civilian radars. It was only when the feces hit the air handling machinery we found it out. We were lucky to not get shot in the face. Shyt happens in war. We train and we train but there are things we can't train to.

I'm wondering if the Eagles went into a Missile Engagement Zone (MEZ) or the Kuwait's ignored the MEZ or was there even a MEZ? We sure had them around the ship in exercises but then we lost a Hornet this year to such SAM buffoonery as well.
 
aterry1067 said:
$100M won’t cover 3 Strike Eagles…not even close now.

Eagles have Aces II ejection seats.
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Yup, it only covers the cost of one new one. I did not know until just now that are still building them.
 
Racerx said:
When's the book/substack coming out
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Well, the current admin got me pretty UCMJ-browbeaten atm. Origional date 2027. Now? Nov 2028 at the earliest. I could retire in 2027, but I'm still waiting to see the full adjudication of the case of retaliation against Capt Kelly's 1A, as us commissioned officer retirees are being specifically targeted. I'm encouraged to hear he is prevailing.
 
Pugs said:
Early in Desert Storm we quickly found out that those of us in the EA-6B jamming some appropriate targets would wipe out our own mode IV keying so even when we stopped jamming Mode IV was useless. I had someone go over us one night over Iraq so close the canopy jumped.

Why did it take us a war to figure this out? Because in all our Red Flags and Fallon exercises we had do not jam frequencies to protect civilian radars. It was only when the feces hit the air handling machinery we found it out. We were lucky to not get shot in the face. Shyt happens in war. We train and we train but there are things we can't train to.

I'm wondering if the Eagles went into a Missile Engagement Zone (MEZ) or the Kuwait's ignored the MEZ or was there even a MEZ? We sure had them around the ship in exercises but then we lost a Hornet this year to such SAM buffoonery as well.
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Ours was a PITA to load. Sometimes it would take other times not so much. Then guys would forget to hold the code and drop the fill. Fortunately no one cared about Mode 4 during my time there. Hopefully Mode 5 has proven to be more reliable but with this shoot down, I’m not so sure.
 
Glad to hear all pilots survived.

Also glad to hear they did not shoot each other down..
 
Zeldman said:
Also glad to hear they did not shoot each other down..
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A distinction without difference really, given the operational significance of multiple own-hull losses.

The irony is that the air defence posture of Al Salem post incident will be more permissive. The political implications of this kerfuffle are high, as the US doesn't want to lose access, but these cultures are high on the face-saving. We have to appease them and downplay the sheer combat incompetence. And yes I can objectively say that while still holding the Gettysburg to account; I don't need to dabble in whataboutisms for the sake of being politically correct. The state Dept leaders on the other hand, yes, they have to be politically correct or lose access to the airspace. Since they'll never make me Dept of State Sec, we're good lol.

But that means yes, the cog-level $2MM and multi-year training meat servo might just get Fox3'd by the host's functional LARPing, since you gave them access to big boy toys in the first place (open media reporting PAC-3 battery).

At one point in the AFG misadventure, we had 'guardian angels' in every conference room inside the green zone, if that tells you anything. iykyk. I lost my officer training school class leader in 2011 to green-on-blue. Yes, that makes me short-fused and biased as hell wrt non-NATO partnerships, I admit that bias. Since my side of the enterprise isn't part of the Sheppard AFB steering committee, we have to eat the more shady faustian deals when it comes to these alliances. This stuff isn't for the faint of heart, and as a student of Maj. Gen Butler's life and legacy, let's just say that my struggle is real.

And I'm out. Everybody check six out there, I'm not being rhetorical on that one for once lol.....
 
hindsight2020 said:
A distinction without difference really, given the operational significance of multiple own-hull losses.

The irony is that the air defence posture of Al Salem post incident will be more permissive. The political implications of this kerfuffle are high, as the US doesn't want to lose access, but these cultures are high on the face-saving. We have to appease them and downplay the sheer combat incompetence. And yes I can objectively say that while still holding the Gettysburg to account; I don't need to dabble in whataboutisms for the sake of being politically correct. The state Dept leaders on the other hand, yes, they have to be politically correct or lose access to the airspace. Since they'll never make me Dept of State Sec, we're good lol.

But that means yes, the cog-level $2MM and multi-year training meat servo might just get Fox3'd by the host's functional LARPing, since you gave them access to big boy toys in the first place (open media reporting PAC-3 battery).

At one point in the AFG misadventure, we had 'guardian angels' in every conference room inside the green zone, if that tells you anything. iykyk. I lost my officer training school class leader in 2011 to green-on-blue. Yes, that makes me short-fused and biased as hell wrt non-NATO partnerships, I admit that bias. Since my side of the enterprise isn't part of the Sheppard AFB steering committee, we have to eat the more shady faustian deals when it comes to these alliances. This stuff isn't for the faint of heart, and as a student of Maj. Gen Butler's life and legacy, let's just say that my struggle is real.

And I'm out. Everybody check six out there, I'm not being rhetorical on that one for once lol.....
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iu
 
Barrett50 said:
Apparently Kuwaiti missiles. They must have defeated the IFF to get a lock. They better be writing us a ~$300M check. Glad the pilots are in one piece. Are the seats Martin Baker?
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“The imminent threat was that we knew that if Iran was attacked, and we believed they would be attacked, that they would immediately come after us,” Rubio told reporters at the Capitol.

Israel was going to attack Iran and put our troops at risk, per Rubio. Our allies got dragged into this with their real estate getting attacked by Iran.

If a bill is to be passed, seems to me it should be to Israel, based on Rubio’s comment.
 
Llewtrah381 said:
“The imminent threat was that we knew that if Iran was attacked, and we believed they would be attacked, that they would immediately come after us,” Rubio told reporters at the Capitol.
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Weak sauce. You tell the Iranians "You'd do well to keep any hostilities between yourselves and Israel. Bad things WILL happen otherwise."
 
Velocity173 said:
Ours was a PITA to load. Sometimes it would take other times not so much. Then guys would forget to hold the code and drop the fill. Fortunately no one cared about Mode 4 during my time there. Hopefully Mode 5 has proven to be more reliable but with this shoot down, I’m not so sure.
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Sounds dumb to say this, but I'm glad that Mode 4 hold issue wasn't just confined to the -47!
 
hindsight2020 said:
The political implications of this kerfuffle are high, as the US doesn't want to lose access, but these cultures are high on the face-saving. We have to appease them and downplay the sheer combat incompetence.
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I noted the CENTCOM press release stated "During active combat—that included attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones — the U.S. Air Force fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses."

Seems to be spinning it as if the Battle of Britain was going on over Kuwait, and the F-15E's were a regrettable casualty of the inevitable fog of war.

I suspect the truth is much different.
 
Not surprising IMO. Iran flinging ballistic missiles and drones at everyone in the region, all of those countries trying to defend thenselves with ABM, and 1000 US aircraft sorties threading the needle.

Good job by the airmen and airwomen surviving a wild ride. There are a few entertaining videos on X of their initial meetings with locals.
 
It sounds like they were brought down by Sidewinders from a Kuwaiti fighter.
 
If so it sounds like the 1994 incident where U.S. F-15’s lead and wingman both took out one Blackhawk apiece …sharing the glory…26 dead…all while AWACS had a read on all the parties…Bad day for Army Aviation…
 
Warlock said:
If so it sounds like the 1994 incident where U.S. F-15’s lead and wingman both took out one Blackhawk apiece …sharing the glory…26 dead…all while AWACS had a read on all the parties…Bad day for Army Aviation…
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2 guys from my unit were on one of those helos, and a friend of mine was on the body recovery party. He had been manifested on the flight but was bumped at the PZ, and the guys killed were close friends of his. He suffered from severe PTSD for years, exacerbated by heavy combat in Iraq. He self medicated by picking fights with Air Force Academy football players. Ibogaine was a miracle cure for him.
 
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Photo of the day. Edit: fake photo but still damn funny. I've met locals in that area and it is entirely in character for them.

Screenshot_20260303-125647.png
 
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They have a watch…but you have to pay for it…It’s a Bremont, current price is 5k and yes you need to eject to purchase…
 
Warlock said:
They have a watch…but you have to pay for it…It’s a Bremont, current price is 5k and yes you need to eject to purchase…
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Well that's awful. That's worse than having to pay $50 and pick up the garbage.
 
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