Newly declassified footage has shed light on a high-risk US military operation to rescue two Air Force officers after their F-15E fighter jet was shot down over Iran in April, revealing how American forces searched for and recovered the two-man crew from behind enemy lines.
The operation involved more than 90 US service members deployed on the ground in Iran, while hundreds of others supported the mission from the air and several thousand personnel provided additional assistance. US officials have described it as one of the largest and most complex rescue operations in the country's military history.
Bravo's perilous survival behind enemy lines
The most difficult part of the mission involved the officer identified by the call sign "Bravo", whose identity has been withheld for security reasons.
After the fighter jet was hit, Bravo ejected but his parachute was damaged. He fell rapidly towards the ground and suffered severe injuries, including a broken back, arm and shoulder, as well as other injuries. He later recalled that looking up and seeing no parachute was "the most terrifying thing" he had ever experienced.
Despite his injuries, Bravo remained mobile and climbed a 7,000-foot ridgeline while attempting to avoid Iranian forces. He spent roughly two days alone in the mountains, using his military survival training to remain hidden. CBS News reported that he eventually managed to establish communication with US forces and indicated that he was injured but still moving.
In his first public account, given to CBS News' *60 Minutes*, Bravo said seeing the American rescuers arrive was one of the greatest moments of his life. The programme's interview with him provided the first detailed public account of his ordeal and the rescue operation.
CIA deception helped locate the injured officer
Finding Bravo was only one part of the challenge. American forces also had to prevent Iranian troops from reaching him before the rescue team could arrive.
The CIA used intelligence capabilities and a deception operation designed to confuse Iranian search efforts. Earlier accounts of the mission said false information was circulated in Iran suggesting that US forces had already located the missing airman and were moving him out by ground. The CIA then shared location information with US military commanders, who had to determine whether the signal represented the genuine airman or an Iranian trap.
The military simultaneously deployed aircraft and other assets to protect the recovery operation and keep Iranian forces away from the area. US officials have described the mission as extraordinarily dangerous because it required American forces to enter hostile territory to retrieve a wounded officer before he could be captured.
Alpha rescued hours after the fighter jet was shot down
The other crew member, identified by the call sign "Alpha", landed about five miles from Bravo after ejecting from the same fighter jet.
Unlike Bravo, Alpha was recovered within hours of the aircraft being shot down. The rescue also required US forces to operate inside Iran, with the recovery taking place in daylight.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine acknowledged the risks involved in sending forces behind enemy lines in broad daylight. He said the threat to the downed airmen made the decision necessary, with the priority being to reach them before Iranian forces could do so.
The US military later said forces flew for hours over Iran during the operation. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the first pilot was reached after a seven-hour daylight flight, while the second rescue involved another seven-hour mission at night.
Hundreds supported the rescue mission
The scale of the operation extended well beyond the troops physically involved in the recovery.
More than 90 US service members were deployed inside Iran for the search and rescue mission, while hundreds of personnel took part in operations in the air and several thousand others provided support. The operation ultimately brought both members of the F-15E crew home.
The mission also involved close coordination between US special operations forces, the Air Force and intelligence agencies. During the rescue, US aircraft were used to suppress threats and protect the recovery teams as they approached the downed airman.
The newly declassified footage now offers a rare visual account of an operation that was initially kept largely secret because of the continuing military and intelligence sensitivities surrounding the mission.
Bravo's account, meanwhile, has provided a first-hand perspective on what it was like to eject over Iran, suffer serious injuries, evade hostile forces and wait for the US military to reach him. CBS News described the approximately 50-hour search and rescue as one of the most complex such missions in US military history.