Kuwaiti Air Defenses Mistakenly Shoot Down US F-15 Jets

Three U.S. Air Force fighter jets were shot down in Kuwait in an apparent friendly fire incident, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed today.

As reported by AzerNEWS, citing a CENTCOM statement, Kuwaiti air defense systems mistakenly targeted the American F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft late Sunday evening during active combat operations. The jets were flying in support of the U.S. military campaign against Iran, known as Operation Epic Fury.

All six crew members successfully ejected, were recovered in search-and-rescue operations, and are reported to be in stable condition.

“During active combat, including attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones, U.S. Air Force fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses,” CENTCOM said. The command added that Kuwait has acknowledged the incident and expressed gratitude for the swift response of Kuwaiti defense forces.

Kuwait's Ministry of Defense had earlier reported that“several” U.S. fighter jets had crashed but did not initially disclose the number of aircraft involved or the cause. Ministry spokesperson Col. Said Al-Atwan said authorities immediately launched rescue operations and transported the crews to hospitals for medical evaluation.

“The crews were evacuated from the crash sites and transferred to hospital to assess their condition and provide necessary medical care,” Al-Atwan said, noting that the personnel remain in stable condition. He added that Kuwait is in direct coordination with U.S. authorities regarding the incident.

Each F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft is valued at tens of millions of dollars. The cause of the friendly fire incident remains under investigation.

***

14:35

Several American warplanes crashed in Kuwait on Monday morning, but all crew members survived, AzerNEWS reports, citing Kuwait's Defence Ministry, as regional tensions escalated amid a third consecutive day of Iranian strikes across the Gulf.

In a statement, a defence ministry spokesperson said:“Several US warplanes crashed this morning. We confirm that all crew members survived.” The spokesperson added that the cause of the crashes remains under investigation.

Authorities launched immediate search-and-rescue operations, evacuating the crews and transferring them to hospital for medical evaluation and treatment. Officials said the personnel are in stable condition.

Meanwhile, Iran's state broadcaster claimed that a US F-15 fighter jet had been shot down in Kuwait by Iranian air defence fire, but the claim has not been independently verified.

Earlier, widely circulated footage on social media appeared to show what looked like a US F-15 aircraft going down in Kuwait. The videos also showed a pilot descending by parachute and later being transported in a civilian vehicle. Authorities have not officially confirmed the authenticity of the footage or provided further details about the aircraft involved.

MENAFN03032026000195011045ID1110808382