United States F-15C/E Fleet Update

On March 2, 2026, a third U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle was lost over Kuwait, completing the tally of three jets downed in the same friendly fire incident. Video footage widely circulated on social media showed an F-15E in a flat spin with its vertical tails missing and fire engulfing the empennage before crashing near Al Jahra, Kuwait. Both the pilot and Weapons Systems Officer ejected and were found by local Kuwaitis who assisted in their recovery. The Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense issued a statement confirming the crash of several U.S. military aircraft, with all crews surviving. The incident underscored the extreme complexity of the battlespace during simultaneous Iranian missile and drone attacks.

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