Kuwaiti Jets ‘Mistakenly’ Shot Down Three US F-15 Jets? Report Points To Friendly-Fire Error

Last Updated:March 04, 2026, 13:21 IST

The US military confirmed that three F-15E Strike Eagles were mistakenly downed by friendly Kuwaiti fire, not by Iran. All crew members parachuted to safety.

A Kuwaiti jet fighter accidentally shot down three American F-15 fighter jets on Monday, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. At least one Kuwaiti F-18 Hornet is reported to have been responsible. A US official said the pilot mistakenly launched three missiles at the American aircraft, which went down over Kuwait.

The US military confirmed that three F-15E Strike Eagles were mistakenly downed by friendly Kuwaiti fire, not by Iran. All crew members parachuted to safety.

First US aircraft loss in current war

The incident marked the first loss of American aircraft since Operation Epic Fury began on February 28 with large US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran. Iran later retaliated with missile and drone attacks across Kuwait and the Gulf following the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in joint strikes on Saturday.

Iran claimed responsibility for shooting down the jets as fighting intensified.

Combat conditions and drone attacks

The Wall Street Journal reported the “blue-on-blue" incident happened while Iranian drones were entering Kuwaiti airspace. One drone struck a base, killing six Americans.

US Central Command said the event occurred during “active combat" involving Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles and drones. The exact circumstances remain unclear.

Rising tensions and earlier attacks

The friendly fire episode came amid heightened alert levels. On March 1, six US Army soldiers were killed when an Iranian drone hit a US tactical operations centre at Shuaiba port in Kuwait.

The downing is the second known case of US fighter aircraft lost to friendly fire in the Middle East within 15 months.

Questions over identification systems

An ex-Air Force fighter pilot described the incident as “perplexing," saying allied pilots are trained to avoid such mistakes. He noted that aircraft normally use Identification Friend or Foe systems to signal friendly status.

It remains unclear whether the US jets had their systems activated. The former pilot said even without transponders, aircraft must show hostile intent before engagement.

Pentagon and military response

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine confirmed the loss of the three F-15Es during a March 2 Pentagon briefing, stating the US knew the incident was not caused by enemy fire but declined further comment.

CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper said 200 fighters had taken part in the operation, carrying out 2,000 strikes, with F-15Es among the aircraft involved.

Kuwait defence statement

Kuwait’s Ministry of Defense said its forces had confronted several hostile aerial targets around dawn on the day of the incident and later confirmed that several US aircraft had crashed.

The conflict has escalated sharply over the past four days, with regional actors including Iran-backed Hezbollah joining the fighting. Civilian populations across affected countries have faced widespread disruption.

Videos shared online showed an F-15 spiralling downward in flames while flying over Kuwait.

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