New Delhi: The Iranian government media has released pictures of the wreckage of planes destroyed in the US-Iran war. These also include the debris of the US Air Force’s F-15E Strike Eagle. The upper cover of the aircraft and the ACES-II ejection seat are clearly visible in the pictures. Based on the markings seen in the photographs, this F-15E has been identified as aircraft number 00-3000.
This aircraft is related to DUDE 44, which was shot down over Iran in early April. F-15E Strike Eagle 00-3000 has been in the news before. During the 2023-24 deployment, this aircraft shot down at least nine drones with AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles.
In the pictures released by Iran, the wreckage of the planes has been displayed in underground rooms. Along with the F-15E, the debris of MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper drones has also been kept in the exhibition. The loss of the MQ-1 also included the US Army’s MQ-1C Gray Eagle version.
This F-15E of DUDE 44 belonged to the 48th Fighter Aircraft Group based at RAF Lakenheath, Britain. Lakenheath sent more than half of its active fighter aircraft to Operation Epic Fury, including the F-15E Strike Eagle and F-35A Lightning II. The photos show the ACES-II ejection seat, one of the most secure parts of the aircraft. Apart from this, the debris of an Israeli Hermes drone has also been kept in the exhibition. These also include serial number 923 of Hermes 900, which was shot down in March.
According to the report, the remains of a C-130 aircraft may also be included in the exhibition, although they could not be immediately identified in the photographs. Iran has a long history of publicly displaying captured military technology. A famous example of this is the RQ-170 Sentinel, which Iran claimed to have grounded through a cyber attack.
