F-16 pilot says downed airman rescue in Iran was a race against time
US rescues missing airman from F-15E crashed in Iran after daring mission
A lost F-15E crew was rescued from Iran in a daring mission after 48 hours behind enemy lines. The CIA reportedly used a deception campaign involving a naval package to distract Iranian forces. The airman, a highly respected Colonel, survived a surface-to-air missile attack, climbed into a high mountain crevasse, and activated a distress beacon for rescue. President Trump personally ordered the high-risk operation.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The survival of a U.S. airman who crashed in enemy territory and had to evade capture underscores the high-risk training that prepares pilots for the worst, a former Air Force fighter pilot said Sunday.
“As an F-16 fighter pilot, I will tell you, the last thing we do before we step in to fly a combat sortie is to summarize the CSAR mission and understand what happens if we have to exit that aircraft,” Lt. Col. Dan Rooney told “Fox & Friends Weekend.”
“And we have a motto: ‘Be prepared, so you don’t have to prepare,'” he said.
LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 31: Lieutenant Colonel Dan Rooney, USAF, speaks on stage at the ‘Salute to the Military’ ACM concert presented by NRA Country held at the ACM EXPO Country Thunder Open Air Stage at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino on March 31, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo: Jerod Harris/ACMA2012/Getty Images for ACM)
U.S. forces rescued a missing U.S. weapons system officer from a downed F-15E in Iran after several days of search over enemy territory while Iranian forces simultaneously searched the area.
The pilot who jumped from the jet in Khuzestan Province was rescued on Friday morning.
President Donald Trump called the rescue mission an “Easter miracle.”
Rooney said pilots undergo extensive survival and escape training to prepare for worst-case scenarios, including being shot down behind enemy lines.
TRUMP DESCRIBED RESCUE OF DOWN AIR FORCE PILOT AS ‘MIRACLE OF THE EASTERN’
President Donald Trump addresses the nation at the White House in Washington, DC, on April 1, 2026. (Alex Brandon/Pool via Reuters)
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP GAVE INFORMATION ABOUT THE F-15 WAR PLANE THAT WAS SHOWED DOWN IN IRAN
“We’re very ready to run, to escape, and to put ourselves in a position where we can be rescued,” he said.
Rooney explained that downed airmen in such situations are trained to act quickly after ejection, avoid crowded areas and remain as stealthy as possible while waiting for rescue forces.
They are also trained to reach areas where rescue can be more easily accomplished.
Describing basic survival principles, Rooney said, “Stay small, stay stealthy, get high so you can be rescued.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE NEWS ON MEDIA AND CULTURE
These tactics are critical in the hours and days immediately following ejection, when a downed airman is most vulnerable and must avoid detection while awaiting rescue attempts, he said.
“It’s a race against time in these moments,” Rooney said.
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION
“And thank God we won that race,” he said.
Fox News’ CJ Womack contributed to this report.
