‘Evasion and survival’: How SEAL Team 6 rescued missing airman

05 Apr 2026, 21:10 by Greg Jaffe, Helene Cooper, Eric Schmitt and Julian E. Barnes · Australian Financial Review

Greg Jaffe, Helene Cooper, Eric Schmitt and Julian E. Barnes
Updated Apr 6, 2026 – 7.52am, first published at 7.10am

Washington | The two crew members ejected from their fighter jet just seconds after it was hit by Iranian fire. The F-15E Strike Eagle, the first fighter jet lost to enemy fire in the war, crashed violently to the ground.

The Air Force officers were deep in hostile territory on Friday morning, alone and armed only with pistols. The plane’s pilot was in “constant communication” with his unit and was rescued about six hours later by a force that included attack planes and helicopters that came under heavy fire, military officials say.

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