Kuwait mistakenly shot down three US fighter jets — Know about US F-15s known for ‘deep strike missions’

Kuwait’s air defences accidentally shot down three U.S. F‑15 fighter jets during ongoing combat operations on Monday, the U.S. Central Command said, describing it as a friendly‑fire incident amid the broader conflict with Iran. All six crew members safely ejected and were recovered, Reuters reported.

All six crew members ejected from the aircraft safely, were recovered and are in stable condition, CENTCOM said.

The incident is the first downing of U.S. aircraft since the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran began on Saturday and underscores how rapidly the conflict is widening across the Gulf.

“At 11:03 p.m. ET, March 1, three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles flying in support of Operation Epic Fury went down over Kuwait due to an apparent friendly fire incident,” CENTCOM said.

It said that Kuwait had acknowledged the incident and that an investigation into the cause was underway.

The weapons and flight control systems are designed so one person can safely and effectively perform air-to-air combat, it added.

A multimission avionics system sets the F-15 apart from other fighter aircraft. It includes a head-up display, advanced radar, inertial navigation system, flight instruments, ultrahigh frequency communications, tactical navigation system and instrument landing system. It also has an internally mounted, tactical electronic-warfare system, “identification friend or foe” system, electronic countermeasures set and a central digital computer, it added.

The F-15E is a two-seat, dual-role fighter capable of all-weather air-to-air combat and deep strike missions. The rear cockpit is upgraded with four multifunction CRT displays for managing aircraft systems and weapons.

Armament: One internally mounted M-61A1 20 mm six-barrel cannon with 940 rounds; four AIM-9L/M Sidewinder and four AIM-7F/M Sparrow air-to-air missiles, or up to eight AIM-120 AMRAAMs carried externally.

Unit Cost: A/B models – $27.9 million; C/D models – $29.9 million (fiscal 1998 constant dollars) Initial Operating Capability: September 1975, according to the US Air Force.

There were no responses to requests for comment on the embassy incident from the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait, or from the U.S. State Department.

Kuwait intercepted hostile drones earlier on Monday, the third consecutive day of Iranian retaliatory strikes on neighbouring Gulf states in response to U.S. and Israeli attacks on the Islamic Republic.

Iran's state media earlier cited the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as saying Iranian armed forces hit a U.S. plane that crashed in Kuwait.

The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait warned U.S. citizens that there was a continuing threat of missile and drone attacks over the country and urged citizens not to come to the embassy. It advised people to shelter in place, remain on the lowest floor of their residence away from windows and not go outside.

No injuries were reported after Kuwait’s air defenses intercepted most of the drones near the Rumaithiya and Salwa neighborhoods, the state news agency reported, citing the civil defense director-general, Reuters reported.

Reuters witnesses said loud bangs and sirens were heard across Kuwait throughout the morning. Similar explosions were reported on Monday in Dubai and Doha.

Tehran stated it would target U.S. bases in the region following the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on Saturday. In addition, Iranian attacks have struck civilian and commercial areas across Gulf cities, further affecting critical regional aviation and trade hubs.

(With inputs from Reuters)