It is likely that it is a Tor-M1 or S-300 air defense missile system, military expert, retired Russian army colonel Viktor Litovkin shared his opinion with TASS news agency.
The aircraft may have been shot down by the Tor-M1 system that Iran possesses. These systems were once used to protect Iran's nuclear power plants. Because it is a tracked mobile system, the Tor-M1 can be deployed anywhere and with a range of about 20-30km, this system can completely destroy F-15s," he said.
This expert added: "Iran also has our S-300 system. I do not rule out the possibility that it is still operating. This system has a range of up to 300km and can also shoot down this aircraft.
According to Mr. Litovkin, Iran also possesses shoulder-fired air defense systems such as Igla and Verba, which can also be used to counter aircraft, even with limited range.
The range of these weapons is short, up to about 10km, but a soldier with this system on their shoulder can easily shoot down an F-15," he noted.
A US twin-seater F-15E fighter jet was shot down in Iranian airspace on April 3. According to Axios, after parachuting, both crew members: the pilot and the weapons officer, were able to contact each other. The pilot was rescued a few hours after the plane crashed. The US then launched a bold rescue operation to bring the weapons officer out of Iranian territory.
