Buried.News

U.S. Central Command said three F-15E Strike Eagles flying in support of Operation Epic Fury were shot down over Kuwait in a friendly-fire incident, forcing all six crew members to eject; all were recovered and in stable condition.

Initial reporting attributed the shootdowns to Kuwaiti air defenses using surface-to-air missiles, but sources familiar with initial incident reports told The Wall Street Journal that a Kuwaiti F/A-18 pilot launched three missiles at the U.S. aircraft. Each F-15E was valued at about $31.1 million, and replacement costs could be higher given estimates that the newer F-15EX Eagle II costs about $90 million per aircraft.

The shootdown occurred soon after an Iranian drone penetrated Kuwait’s air defenses and struck a triple-wide trailer used as a tactical-operations center at a commercial port, killing six U.S. troops, according to a source cited by the Journal. A source said Kuwaiti forces, already on edge, fired after radar detected the American jets flying toward them. Kuwait took responsibility and said it initiated search-and-rescue operations. U.S. Central Command declined to comment further while the incident is under investigation.