Newly declassified videos have revealed the dramatic US military operation to rescue two pilots who were shot down by Iranian forces, including a badly injured officer who survived behind enemy lines for nearly two days.
The footage, first obtained by CBS News’ 60 Minutes, shows US rescue personnel reaching the pilot identified by the callsign “Bravo” in broad daylight, despite the risks of operating inside hostile territory.
Over 90 US service members deployed
Following the shootdown, the US deployed more than 90 service members to search for and rescue the two pilots, identified as “Alpha” and “Bravo”. Hundreds of personnel were involved in the air operation, while several thousand others provided supporting roles, according to CBS News.
The rescue of Bravo was particularly challenging. He was seriously injured after ejecting from his fighter jet when his parachute was damaged, causing him to fall to the ground.
“At one point when I looked up and saw no parachute, that was the most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen,” Bravo told 60 Minutes in his first public account of the incident.
Injured pilot climbed 7,000-foot ridgeline
Despite suffering a broken back and other injuries, Bravo managed to climb a 7,000-foot ridgeline and wait for help.
He eventually established communication with US forces and indicated that he was injured but still able to move. The CIA then used intelligence capabilities along with a deception operation to help locate him, according to the report.
The newly released footage captures rescue personnel reaching Bravo in daylight, highlighting the risks involved in entering enemy territory while the pilot remained vulnerable.
Bravo later described seeing his rescuers as “one of the greatest moments of his life.”
Alpha rescued hours after ejection
The second pilot, identified as “Alpha”, landed around five miles from Bravo after ejecting from his aircraft. He was also rescued by US forces, around eight hours after ejecting.
The operation was considered highly risky because the rescue teams were entering hostile territory in broad daylight.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley described such missions behind enemy lines as inherently dangerous. Gen. Caine said the decision was made to go in during daylight because of the threat facing Alpha and the need to reach him before anyone else could.
The declassified footage has now provided a rare look at the scale and complexity of the US effort to locate and recover the two downed pilots.
