tjwds4d ago

F-15E jet shot down over Iran

https://theaviationist.com/2026/04/03/iran-f-15e-debris/

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/03/us-fighter-jet-confirmed-shot-down-over-iran

Iranian Media Posts Debris From USAF F-15E Claimed to Have Been Downed Earlier Today

Although Iranian media claimed an F-35 has been shot down, images from the crash site clearly show debris belonging to an F-15E Strike Eagle. On Apr. 3,

The Aviationist
Show threadMarkMarine
Military aviators train for this, being alone behind enemy lines (look up SERE school if you’re curious, one of the craziest training courses outside of special forces) and there is a special force just for aviator recovery behind enemy lines, US AirForce Pararescue. Hopefully they’ll get the aviators back quickly, the last thing our country needs is American hostages making this ridiculous war harder to stop.
Apr 3 at 3:12pmWeb
Show threadlokar4d ago
Do they train for a “no quarter“ conflict where injured or surrendered combatants are killed?
Show threadrbanffy4d ago
Hegseth is not in charge of the Iranian military.
Show threadlokar4d ago
But he did publicly declare his intention to commit war crimes.
Show threadtwo_handfuls4d ago

In case anyone else doubted this, I will save you the time to look it up. Yup, it's sadly true.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/hegseth-no-quarter-interna...

'No Quarter' Declaration by Pete Hegseth 'Constitutes a War Crime': Experts | Common Dreams

"The Pentagon's law of war manual states unequivocally that such statements are war crimes," said a legal scholar who previously worked in the Pentagon's office of general counsel.

Common Dreams
Show threadlokar4d ago

Yep. And war crime seems to have lost all meaning in the US.

But, even if you dismiss the idea of international standards, this is clearly very bad for US soldiers (and sailors, airmen, etc). I wonder if they see that.

Show threadjMyles4d ago

> But, even if you dismiss the idea of international standards, this is clearly very bad for US soldiers (and sailors, airmen, etc). I wonder if they see that.

Even if you dismiss the idea of international standards, a no-quarter declaration is against _US law_, specifically subject to the penalty of death with no other lawful penalty defined: https://www.govregs.com/uscode/title18_partI_chapter118_sect....

18 USC 2441 - War crimes

Searchable text of the 18 USC 2441 - War crimes (US Code), including Notes, Amendments, and Table of Authorities

Show threadasdff4d ago
We've already committed several war crimes.
Show threadestearum4d ago
Actually even just declaring no quarter is itself a war crime.
Show threadKaiserPro4d ago
Hes also liable for the death sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 2441 — War Crimes Act (1996) & 10 U.S.C. § 950t — Military Commissions Act (more relevent)
Show threadlokar4d ago

They won't face any US law. AIUI, they have been getting letters from the DOJ office of legal counsel that say it's legal. This effectively immunizes them (the DOJ can't turn around and charge you with a crime, if they advised you beforehand it was not a crime).

The best shot would be to turn them over to the ICC

Show threadKaiserPro4d ago
Alas, the USA isn't signed up to the ICC.
Show threadlokar4d ago
Sure, but, if somehow they fell into ICC custody overseas...
Show threadestearum4d ago
Right but the reason we have rules against people declaring no quarter is to prevent a race to the bottom. It is absolutely reasonable to respond to a no quarter declaration in kind, which is... again... the entire reason we have prohibitions on it.
Show threadMarkMarine4d ago
No, we actually train to be tortured and held if caught, but everyone knows the risks before you take off. Captured marines or soldiers have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, we’re clear eyed about it.
Show threadKaiserPro4d ago
Unless I missed something, Only Hegseth was promising no quarter (ie war crimes)
Show threadswyx4d ago
he what? this is on the record?
Show threadpiperswe4d ago

https://www.war.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/4434...

> Our response? We will keep pressing. We will keep pushing, keep advancing, no quarter, no mercy for our enemies.

Show threadExoticPearTree4d ago
Yes, he said it in front of reporters at a Pentagon briefing.
Show threadasdff4d ago
If they landed anywhere near a town they are probably captured. The kuwait video from the f15 that was hit with friendly fire was crazy. Like 6 suvs worth of locals immediately surrounded this guy and they were threatening to beat him with a galvanized pipe.
Show threadpram4d ago

TBH I went through SERE school (aircrew) and I questioned its value, since the training is in eastern Washington/northern Idaho area mountainous woodland environment and all the evasion they showed us relied on that kind of cover and "bushcraft"

And you know, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Iran are definitely not eastern Washington lol

Show threadcactusfrog4d ago
Eastern Washington has a lot of hot desert
Show threadpram4d ago
Washington indeed has a giant desert but it's in the middle fwiw, the SERE school is in Spokane
Show threadManuel_D4d ago
Spokane is in the Eastern arid region of the state.
Show threadpram4d ago
What an absolutely pointless thing to get pedantic about. Put "spokane washington" into Google images and tell me if that looks like a desert to you.
Show threadhedgehog4d ago
They're also wrong. The geographic center (around Ellensburg or so) is also in what is known as Eastern WA (east of the Cascades).
Show threadcbron4d ago
Spokane is Eastern Washington, the college in Cheney is literally called Eastern, its just not a desert.
Show threadManuel_D4d ago

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Yud6EFprZeaVDaeQ6

This is the view outside of Fairchild AFB, which runs the training course in question.

Wikipedia reports that Spokane has a Mediterranean climate, as does Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province where this F-15 is reported to have been shot down.

Bevor Sie zu Google Maps weitergehen

Show threadcbron4d ago
Spokane is not desert. Even surrounding territory is more plains. Some desert military training happens at Yakima much further west.
Show threadericmay4d ago
You'd get additional specific training for deployments and the skills are transferrable. But obviously they can't train everyone in every biome that we have, otherwise you'd spend a whole year just flying around to different areas of the country to train and on a 4-year contract it's just not going to work time-wise.
Show threadambicapter4d ago
If you're doing SERE school you're probably not on a 4 year contract. Pilots have 10 year contracts.
Show threadbudman14d ago

some enlisted air crew go to SERE. loadmasters, airborne intelligence, and SMA (Special Mission Aviators).

As an added benefit, enlisted air crew have no restrictions on mustache length or on professional wear of the uniform.

Show threadMarkMarine4d ago
Add Huey crew chiefs to this list
Show threadeddieh4d ago
Iran isn't just central Tehran. Look up the Zagros Mountains and the Alborz Mountains. Or just look at a picture of the northern Tehran skyline, it is at the foot of the Alborz, a huge mountain range. There's plenty of woodlands and forest too. Some parts of the Hyrcanian forests get over 50 inches of annual rainfall, which isn't Forks, WA, but it is substantial.
Show threadoverfeed4d ago
You're reinforcing parents point by highlighting the variety: at most, just 1 of the areas is a close match to the terrain at the training grounds.
Show threadeddieh4d ago
Not really, if you're entering Iranian airspace from the Mediterranean, the Persian Gulf, or Europe, you're flying over either the Zagros Mountains or the Alborz Mountains. Unless you crash/eject in a city, you're almost certainly going to be in the mountains. Look at a map.
Show threadboogieknite4d ago
far from pc but i grew up hunting along the snake and the old guys always called those hills "Bin Ladens" bc it looked like the pictures of where news reported he was hiding
Show threadnielsbot4d ago

Relevant: This is a very interesting read:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5150259-u-s-air-force-su...

U.S. Air Force Survival Handbook (US Army Survival)

Written for use in formal United States Air Force survi…

Goodreads