Kuwaiti F/A-18 suspected in shootdown of three USAF F-15E jets over Kuwait

A Kuwaiti Air Force F/A-18 Hornet is suspected of shooting down three U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles over Kuwait on March 2, according to multiple media reports citing officials familiar with initial findings. The incident occurred during active combat operations linked to the U.S. campaign against Iran.

U.S. Central Command initially stated that the American aircraft were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses but did not specify whether surface-to-air or air-to-air systems were involved.

Subsequent reporting by Air & Space Forces Magazine and The Wall Street Journal, citing sources briefed on preliminary assessments, indicates that a Kuwaiti F/A-18 may have fired three missiles, downing the three F-15Es. The reports state that only one Hornet was involved.

CENTCOM has declined to comment further, saying the incident remains under investigation.

All six aviators — three pilots and three weapons systems officers — ejected safely and were recovered. U.S. officials said they are in stable condition.

The shootdowns took place around 7 a.m. local time amid intense air and missile activity. Iranian drones and ballistic missiles were reportedly entering Kuwaiti airspace at the time. A day earlier, six U.S. Army soldiers were killed in a drone strike on a U.S. tactical operations center at the port of Shuaiba in Kuwait, increasing tensions among local forces.

F-15 fighter jet appears in video in flames and missing part of its tail section. (Social media)

Imagery circulating online appears to show at least one F-15E descending with fire and smoke trailing from the rear fuselage and both vertical stabilizers missing. Analysts cited in the reports said the damage pattern could be consistent with rear-aspect missile shots, potentially from short-range infrared-guided weapons. The fact that all three crews survived has led some observers to question whether smaller air-to-air missiles were used rather than larger surface-to-air systems, though officials have not confirmed the type of weapon involved.

Kuwaiti F/A-18s were airborne defending against drones when the incident occurred. The F-15Es were participating in operations under the campaign that began February 28 with U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian targets. Iran subsequently launched retaliatory missile and drone attacks across the Gulf.

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The loss of the three F-15Es marks the first confirmed U.S. aircraft losses in the current campaign. It is also the second known friendly fire shootdown of a U.S. fighter aircraft in the Middle East in the past 15 months, following the December 2024 downing of a U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet by a U.S. Navy cruiser during operations against Houthi forces in Yemen.

Kuwait’s Ministry of Defense said it had confronted multiple hostile aerial targets around dawn on the day of the incident and later acknowledged that several U.S. aircraft had crashed. The ministry said joint technical measures were taken following the event but did not provide additional details.