How's The Search For Second US Pilot Going? Ex-Commander Flags 'Massively Dangerous' Rescue Op

Last Updated:April 04, 2026, 19:05 IST

US forces have rescued a pilot of a US F-15E aircraft that was shot down inside Iranian territory, while the search for the second pilot is underway.

After a US F-15E aircraft was shot down inside Iranian territory, reports said US forces recovered one crew member, the latest in a long history of American combat search-and-rescue missions. The search for the second pilot is still on, with Iran already announcing a reward for their capture.

The US F-15 jet, typically operated by a two-person crew, was reportedly struck by Iranian fire on Friday. The rescued individual is alive, receiving medical care, and currently in US custody, while efforts continue to locate the second crew member.

However, former officials have flagged the risky nature of the rescue operation as the United States is currently at war with Iran, with an ex-commander calling it “harrowing and massively dangerous." If Iran captures the pilot, it would provide Iran with a “powerful bargaining capture" to pressure the US in the war.

Race Against Time

The US would need to deploy elite units of the air force for combat search-and-rescue (CSAR) missions, which are considered among the most complex and time-sensitive operations. The missions are aimed at finding, aiding and potentially rescuing downed pilots or other isolated personnel in hostile environments.

A former commander of a pararescue jumpers squadron told CBS News that a rescue operation like the one in Iran would involve at least 24 pararescue jumpers scouring the area in Black Hawk helicopters. The team would be prepared to jump from planes if needed and immediately contact the missing crew member.

Upon locating them, the pararescue jumpers would deliver medical aid if necessary, evade the enemy and get to a place where they can be rescued. “Harrowing and massively dangerous is an understatement," the former commander said.

BBC reported verified visuals from Iran that appeared to show US military helicopters and at least one refuelling aircraft operating over Iran’s Khuzestan province. Former US Marine Corps Special Operations specialist Jonathan Hackett told the BBC that a US rescue team’s priority would be to look for signs of life quickly, as Iranian forces are likely to be deployed in the same area to locate CSAR teams for the rescue operation.

Have US Attempted Such Missions Before?

The US Air Force has dedicated pararescue teams for CSAR operations, which date back to World War I pilots conducting landings in France to rescue downed troops. The US military’s pararescue units trace their lineage back to a 1943 mission in which two combat surgeons parachuted into Myanmar to help wounded soldiers.

The world’s first helicopter rescue took place a year later, when a US lieutenant rescued four soldiers from behind Japanese lines, according to Smithsonian’s Air & Space Magazine. Modern CSAR missions began during the Vietnam War, BBC reported.

One mission, known as Bat 21, led to the loss of several aircraft and multiple US casualties while attempting to recover the pilot of an aircraft shot downin Vietnam. Pararescue teams were widely deployed during the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, carrying out thousands of missions to recover wounded American and allied troops or extract personnel in need.

News world How's The Search For Second US Pilot Going? Ex-Commander Flags 'Massively Dangerous' Rescue Op

Read More