Washington. Iran’s downing of two US military aircraft marks a rare battlefield setback for Washington, the first time in more than two decades that American warplanes have been shot down by enemy fire.

The incident underscores Tehran’s continued ability to strike back despite President Donald Trump’s assertion that Iran’s military capabilities have been “completely decimated.”

The losses come five weeks after US and Israeli forces began a sustained air campaign against Iran. Earlier this week, Trump said Tehran’s ability to launch missiles and drones had been “dramatically curtailed.”

US officials said Iran shot down an F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet on Friday. One service member was rescued, while a search remains underway for a second. Iranian state media also reported that a U.S. A-10 attack aircraft crashed after being hit by Iranian defenses.

The last time a US fighter jet was shot down in combat was during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, when an A-10 Thunderbolt II was struck by an Iraqi surface-to-air missile, according to retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Houston Cantwell, a former F-16 pilot.

Such incidents have been rare largely because recent US conflicts have involved adversaries without advanced air defense systems. Even so, Cantwell said the limited losses in the current conflict reflect the strength of U.S. air capabilities.

“The fact that this hasn’t happened until now is remarkable,” said Cantwell, now a senior fellow at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. “These are combat missions. Aircraft are being targeted every day.”

Missile threat remains

US Central Command said American forces have flown more than 13,000 missions in the conflict, striking over 12,300 targets.

Despite weeks of sustained airstrikes, Iran’s military remains capable of mounting resistance. Its continued attacks on Israel and Gulf Arab states have contributed to regional instability and global economic concerns.

Analysts say the aircraft losses may have been caused by shoulder-fired missiles, which are harder to detect.

“A disabled air defense system is not a destroyed one,” said Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of the Iran program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. “We shouldn’t be surprised they are still fighting.”

US aircraft operating at lower altitudes are more vulnerable to such weapons, he added, describing Iran as “weakened but still lethal.”

Mark Cancian, a retired Marine colonel and senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, agreed that a portable missile was the likely cause.

Still, he described the broader US air campaign as a “tremendous success,” noting that historically, aircraft losses in major wars were far higher.

“At one point in World War II, US aircraft loss rates over Germany reached 3%,” Cancian said. “But today, even limited losses carry political weight.”

He noted that public tolerance for casualties is far lower, particularly in conflicts lacking broad domestic support.

High-Risk Missions

The last US jet shot down in combat was hit over Baghdad on April 8, 2003. The pilot ejected safely and was rescued.

Pilots operating in high-threat environments like Iran are trained to respond quickly to missile threats and to eject if necessary, Cantwell said.

“They’re trained to assess injuries, secure their position and communicate their location for rescue,” he said. “At the same time, the enemy may attempt to intercept or disrupt those signals.”

Rescue operations themselves carry significant risks, often involving helicopters operating at low altitudes.

Helicopters are particularly vulnerable because of their slower speed and lower flight paths, Cantwell said.

“The lower and slower you are, the more exposed you become,” he said.

He noted that crews involved in recent rescue efforts likely faced extreme danger.

“That kind of mission takes extraordinary courage,” Cantwell said.

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