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Three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles Shot Down In Apparent Friendly Fire Incident in Kuwait

FlyMarshall NewsroomBy No Comments5 Mins Read

Videos emerged online in the morning of Mar. 2, 2026, show what was described as a U.S. Air Force F-15 being hit by surface to air fire, immediately catching fire and spinning out of control. The crew is seen ejecting, before the aircraft continues to spin towards the ground and crashes.

Photos then showed at least three different crew members safely on the ground, surrounded by reportedly Kuwaiti locals. However, the U.S. Air Force is currently employing the F-15E Strike Eagle in the region, which is a twin-seat aircraft.

Other regional partners operate the F-15 too, although their participation in the operations against Iran has not been reported. Among these operators are Saudi Arabia, with both single- and twin-seat F-15s, and Qatar, with twin-seats.

According to some comments, the helmet of one of the crew members matches the one shown in a official photo of the 335th Fighter Squadron’s F-15Es out of Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina. This would further identify the aircraft and crews as belonging to the U.S. Air Force.

Claims online are attributing the incident to a possible friendly-fire, with some saying that a second F-15 might have been shot down. That would explain the presence of more than two crew members on the ground.

Indeed, the official X profile of the Kuwaiti Army published a post saying that “the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense stated that several US warplanes crashed this morning, confirming that all crew members survived.” According to the spokesperson, the crews are in stable condition and have been transported to the hospital for medical evaluation and treatment.

The post also stated that an investigation is in progress. CENTCOM has yet to confirm the incident, although the Kuwaiti MoD says it is coordinating with the U.S. to quickly return the crews to their home bases.

What happened?

The aircraft can be seen flying straight and level, before an explosion takes place. At this time, it is not possible to verify what exactly happened. Some claims mention the use of Short-Range Air Defense (SHORAD) systems with infrared-guided missiles.

This could be one of the many possible explanations. The F-15E is not equipped with Missile Warning Sensors (MWS) for infrared-guided missiles, thus the crew would not get a warning if one was flying towards them, compared to radar-guided missiles.

Also, the aircraft was reportedly flying over friendly territory in Kuwait, where the crew would not necessarily expect surface-to-air threat against them. Considering the aircraft was not flying at high altitude and it was not equipped with external fuel tanks, it is likely the F-15 was flying as part of the defensive effort against Iranian missiles and drones, which previously struck also Kuwait.

As we mentioned in our previous reporting, Iran is continuing to target neighboring countries which host U.S. bases, including Kuwait, Jordan, Qatar and the UAE. Hundreds on missiles and drones have been launched, with many intercepted by both aircraft and ground-based air defenses.

U.S. CENTCOM confirmation

U.S. Central Command has released a public statement confirming the friendly fire incident:

“At 11:03 p.m. ET, March 1, three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles flying in support of Operation Epic Fury went down over Kuwait due to an apparent friendly fire incident.

During active combat—that included attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones — the U.S. Air Force fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses.

All six aircrew ejected safely, have been safely recovered, and are in stable condition. Kuwait has acknowledged this incident, and we are grateful for the efforts of the Kuwaiti defense forces and their support in this ongoing operation.

The cause of the incident is under investigation. Additional information will be released as it becomes available.”

 

This is a developing story, it will be updated as new details emerge.


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