OAN Staff Addie Davis
8:45 AM – Monday, September 14, 2026
Newly declassified footage has revealed the dramatic rescues of two U.S. airmen after their F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet was shot down over Iran in April.
The airmen were rescued nearly two days apart during massive U.S. military missions involving numerous aircraft, diversion and precision operations.
During an interview with CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” which first obtained the footage, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine described the operations seen in the video.
The pilot, referred to as “Alpha” for security purposes, was recovered during a daylight mission involving 21 aircraft eight hours after he ejected from the downed plane, per CBS News.
“Anytime you go behind enemy enemy lines in daylight, it’s going to be dicey. We would much rather go at night,” Caine said. “Given the threat to 44 Alpha, the decision was taken to boldly go behind enemy lines in daylight to make sure that we could get to him before anybody else could.”
The weapons systems officer, referred to as “Bravo,” landed about five miles from his partner. With a broken back and other wounds, he climbed up a 7,000-foot ridgeline to await rescue, CBS reported.
Footage showed U.S. forces striking Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces near Bravo’s location before the rescue was attempted. Caine walked “60 Minutes” correspondent Norah O’Donnell through the declassified video, describing the moment when two special forces members reached the wounded airman.
Noting Bravo’s actions to evade capture, Caine described the best practice for such a situation.
“You want to get to the high ground. You want to isolate the threat below you, so that you can see and observe anybody that’s coming to get you and make a decision on what you’re going to do to evade them,” he said.
In a separate interview with “60 Minutes,” Bravo described the feeling of being rescued after spending so much time behind enemy lines.
“The moment a PJ [Pararescue operator] showed up to me on that ridgeline was one of the greatest moments of my life,” he said.
The declassified footage of Bravo’s rescue shows a blurred-out helicopter. When asked about the reason for it obscuration, Caine gave a simple answer.
“Because I don’t want you to know that kind of helicopter that is,” he said with a laugh. “We want to retain our most bespoke capabilities so that if the United States ever needs to use them again, we can.”
The dramatic rescue mission captured the attention of the nation, as Americans held their breath waiting to hear news that the airmen had been safely recovered. The theatrical operations even drew the gaze of Hollywood, with blockbuster director Michael Bay expected to direct a Universal Pictures film bringing the two officers’ stories to the big screen.
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