New Declassified Videos Show U.S. Rescue F-15E Crew in Iran With 21 Aircraft and 90 Ground Troops

Declassified footage details a U.S. personnel-recovery mission for an F-15E crew downed in Iran, involving 21 aircraft and about 90 ground personnel. The package combined rescue forces, protection, command-and-control and support assets to reach the aircrew in contested territory. Its scale illustrates that combat search and rescue depends on coordinated suppression, refuelling, surveillance and medical capabilities rather than a single recovery platform. The videos provide new operational detail, although sensitive information about routes, tactics and supporting systems remains withheld and the released material represents an official account of the mission.