Video appears to show F15 crashing near Kuwait City as US command says three jets went down
Video that appears to show a US f15 fighter jet falling from the sky and crashing near Kuwait City was filmed from the west of the city on the edge of the Al Jahra area, and US Central Command later said three US F-15 jets went down in what it described as an apparent friendly fire incident; all six crew ejected safely and are in stable condition.
F15 filmed falling near Al Jahra
Footage verified in reporting appears to capture the moment an F-15 fighter jet falls and crashes to the ground close to Kuwait City. The video was taken from the west of the city on the edge of the Al Jahra area and shows a jet descending rapidly before impact.
CENTCOM: three jets ‘mistakenly’ shot down
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said three US F-15E Strike Eagle jets had "mistakenly been shot down" by Kuwaiti air defences "during active combat" and called the event an apparent friendly fire incident. A CENTCOM statement published on X said all six aircrew ejected safely, have been safely recovered, and are in stable condition, and that Kuwait has acknowledged the incident.
Kuwait investigating and air defences were active
The Kuwaiti Ministry of Defence confirmed that several US aircraft had crashed and said authorities were investigating the cause of the incident. A ministry spokesperson said all pilots survived, were taken to hospital and were in stable condition, and that the ministry was coordinating with US forces. Kuwaiti authorities also said drones had approached the capital and that air defences intercepted a majority of them near the Rumaithiya and Salwa neighbourhoods, quoting the director general of civil defence.
Pilots ejected and were helped on the ground
Videos that emerged showed a US F-15E Strike Eagle spinning and spiralling downwards with its tail on fire and smoke trailing behind it; another clip showed two pilots ejecting. Those pilots were later seen alive on the ground being helped by locals, and CENTCOM said all six crew ejected safely and were recovered in stable condition.
Wider fighting and statements from US military leaders
The incident came amid Washington's joint offensive with the Israeli military against Iran, during which Iran has struck civilian and commercial areas across Gulf cities. Tehran said it would target US military assets in the region after US-Israeli strikes continued for a third day. From the Pentagon, US General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said it would take time to achieve the military objectives assigned to CENTCOM and the joint force and that the work could be difficult; he added the US continued to send additional troops to the Middle East. General Caine made those comments a day after President Donald Trump suggested the attacks on Iran could continue for four weeks.
