News Brief
Kuwaiti F/A-18 Hornet Mistakenly Shot Down Three US F-15 Jets In Friendly Fire Incident, Probe Finds
Swarajya News Staff
Mar 04, 2026, 11:06 AM | Updated 11:06 AM IST
A preliminary investigation has revealed that a Kuwaiti F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet was responsible for shooting down three US F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft over Kuwait on 1 March, in what the Trump administration had initially described as an apparent friendly fire incident.
The jets went down on the third day of Washington's joint offensive with Israel against Iran, dubbed Operation Epic Fury.
The Wall Street Journal reported today, citing three people familiar with initial reports, that a single Kuwaiti pilot mistakenly launched three missiles towards the American jets as Iranian drones and ballistic missiles penetrated Kuwaiti airspace.
The incident occurred at 11:03 PM Eastern Time on 1 March as Iran retaliated by firing a barrage of missiles and drones at Kuwait and other Gulf countries housing US military bases.
All six aircrew members—three pilots and three weapons systems officers—ejected safely from the F-15Es and were recovered in stable condition, US Central Command confirmed.
The F-15E Strike Eagles were flying in support of Operation Epic Fury when they crashed over Kuwait during active combat that included attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles and drones.
The friendly fire incident occurred amid heightened tension as Iran launched retaliatory strikes across the Gulf region following the US-Israeli attacks that began on 28 February. Kuwait has acknowledged the incident and is cooperating with US authorities in the ongoing investigation.
Defence experts noted that if the Kuwaiti pilot employed heat-seeking AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, the F-15E crews would not have received warning until the weapons detonated, as the Strike Eagles lack missile warning sensors for infrared-guided missiles.
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