Foreign media: A U.S. F-15E fighter jet was shot down inside Iran, marking the first loss of a U.S. aircraft over Iranian airspace since the start of the five-week war. Iranian state media released photos of the wreckage and initially misidentified it as an F-35.
The aircraft belonged to the 494th Squadron based at RAF Lakenheath in the UK. The U.S. military is urgently conducting a search-and-rescue operation to locate the two crew members. According to reports, one pilot has already been rescued. Iran's Revolutionary Guard social media accounts posted photos apparently showing an ACES II ejection seat, suggesting at least one pilot successfully ejected. Iranian television has offered a reward for capturing the "enemy pilot."
This incident increases the total estimated cost of U.S. aircraft losses and damages in the conflict to over $3 billion, including three F-15E fighters shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses on March 1, one damaged F-35 forced to make an emergency landing, and an E-3 early warning aircraft destroyed at a Saudi base on March 27.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1861468013747466/
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