Main points
- Iran was able to hit several American aircraft, including an F-15, and a helicopter.
- Iran has been preparing for conflict for 50 years, creating the appropriate military infrastructure.
The US-Israeli conflict against Iran has been going on for over a month, and during that time the Americans have suffered significant losses to their own aviation. Tehran managed to hit several US Air Force planes and a helicopter in one day.
It is known that the US lost F-15, A-10 aircraft and, presumably, an F-35 fighter jet and a Black Hawk helicopter. Aviation expert Konstantin Kryvolap told Channel 24 what exactly could have happened to the American aircraft.
How do the Iranians manage to strike US aircraft?
Kryvolap noted that the F-35 was hit, not shot down. This was most likely due to the Iranians' use of a mobile MANPADS.
“Regarding the F-15's downing, it was friendly fire. And it has nothing to do with the capabilities of Iranian air defense,” the aviation expert explained.
Important! Donald Trump has commented for the first time on the April 3 downing of an American F-15 fighter jet by Iran. The US President has refused to discuss the search for American pilots in Iran after the downing of the F-15. However, he said he was unhappy with certain media reports about “this complex and delicate rescue operation.” Trump added that the downing of the plane would in no way affect the progress of negotiations on the situation in the Middle East.
At the same time, there is a belief that Iran has already destroyed everything possible and that it has nothing to strike with. However, this is probably not the case.
Iran has been preparing for this for 50 years. It has dug itself very deep into the rock, and there are factories and even entire cities there. They can go out, make short strikes that you won't have time to see and react to,
– emphasized Kostyantyn Kryvolap.
That's how, he said, the F-35 was damaged. Also, all the other problems associated with the defeat of American aviation are a consequence of the fact that Iran dug in quite deeply.
The US is used to the fact that if they talk about their dominance, it means that it is so in reality. However, the absolute dominance of the US, which they mention, according to Kryvolap, does not exist at the moment. Moreover, it cannot be established quickly, because a guerrilla war may continue at the state level.
What is known about the losses of US planes and helicopters in Iran?
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Iran shot down a US F-15 fighter jet on April 3, and search and rescue efforts for the crew members continued throughout the day. It later emerged that one of the two crew members had been rescued. As reported in US media, the plane was shot down by “hostile fire.”
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At the same time, Iranian media outlets note that there are several versions regarding the fate of the pilots. It cannot be ruled out that they were captured.
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On the morning of April 3, it was also reported that Iran's air defenses allegedly shot down an F-35, but Axios reported that it was an F-15.
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The Americans may have also lost a Black Hawk helicopter over Iran. It was searching for an American pilot whose F-15 was downed.
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Also on April 3, the United States suffered another loss – an A-10 Warthog attack aircraft that crashed over the Strait of Hormuz. This aircraft went down at about the same time as the F-15. It is known that one pilot who was aboard the A-10 survived.
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In addition, American media reported on March 19 that Iranian air defenses shot down an American F-35 fighter jet while it was flying a combat mission over Iran. After the strike, the plane was forced to make an emergency landing.