A pilot on a US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet survived nearly 48 hours in hostile territory after the plane was shot down by Iran, before being rescued by US special forces in a large-scale operation, described as one of the most complex missions in US military history.
According to US officials, the F-15E was shot down on April 3 - the first time a aircraft of this type has been shot down in a conflict that has lasted for more than a month.
Two crew members managed to parachute to escape, but only 1 pilot was rescued immediately afterwards. The remaining pilot - the officer controlling the weapon system - went missing, forcing the US military to deploy an emergency search operation.
48 hours of life and death in the encirclement
For 2 days, this pilot had to hide in an area densely populated by Iranian forces, with defensive equipment only being a handgun. This person used GPS and secure communication equipment to coordinate with rescue forces.
At the same time, a "life-and-death race" took place between the US military and Iranian forces to approach survivors before the opponent. Tehran is said to have mobilized forces to search and offer rewards for arresting the US pilot.
In that context, the officer's survival rate is assessed as very fragile.
Large-scale rescue operation
On the night of April 4, US special forces launched a rescue operation with the participation of hundreds of soldiers, along with dozens of fighter jets, helicopters and multi-layered intelligence systems, including cyberspace and satellites.
US attack aircraft bombed and shelled Iranian convoys to prevent this force from approaching the pilot's hiding area. When the special forces approached the target, fighting broke out.
A US military official described this as "one of the most difficult and complex tasks" in the history of the country's special forces.
Escape in the nick of time
After successful rescue, the operation has not yet ended. Two transport aircraft used to move forces and pilots out of the area suddenly encountered an incident at a remote base in Iranian territory.
Faced with the risk of being exposed, the US commander decided to deploy 3 more aircraft to replace them, and at the same time destroy 2 crashed aircraft to avoid falling into the hands of the enemy.
All US forces were then taken out of the safe zone.
The role of local people
The F-15E was shot down in an area believed to have many people who do not support the Iranian government. This may have helped the US pilot receive support from civilians during his hiding.
According to sources, the CIA often participates in campaigns to approach and mobilize civilians to support trapped soldiers - a method called "non-traditional rescue".
The fact that a modern fighter such as the F-15E was shot down, along with a large-scale rescue operation on enemy territory, shows that the conflict has crossed the threshold of indirect confrontation.
Meanwhile, the US pilot's survival for 48 hours in the siege is considered a key factor helping Washington avoid a worse scenario - when soldiers fall into the hands of the enemy, which could lead to serious political and military crises.
