US fighter pilot shot down over Iran before spending two days on run behind enemy lines reveals ‘most terrifying’ moment

A US airman shot down over Iran and stranded for two days at the height of the war has described the “most terrifying moment”. The weapons system officer, known by his callsign Dude 44 Bravo, said it is a “modern day miracle” that he survived behind enemy lines with a horde of cut-throat militants hot on his tail. A US airman has broken his silence on his two day survival mission in hostile Iranian territory Credit: X/60Minutes One of the ejector seats from his downed F-15 fighter jet Credit: X Bravo was flying in the back seat of an F-15E Strike Eagle preparing to strike facilities linked to Iran‘s drone and missile arsenal on April 3. But the jet was suddenly struck by a shoulder-fired missile as it flew south of the city of Isfahan. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! The colonel described the impact as “like being hit by a freight train” in an interview with CBS “60 Minutes” host Norah O’Donnell. His crewmate and pilot, callsign Alpha, quickly ejected them from the £22million aircraft, but Bravo’s parachute failed to inflate. He said: “My parachute was damaged in the initial attack. “At one point, when I looked up and saw no parachute, that was the most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen.” The heroic officer was left “free falling” towards the ground. “I wasn’t focused on the speed at which I was falling. I was instead focused on trying to correct the problems that were in front of me,” he said. Most read in The Sun Gun-toting tribesmen scoured the rugged terrain, buoyed by a lucrative reward Credit: Fars News Agency Incredible declassified footage shows the moment Bravo was rescued by elite commandos Relying on his training, the airman battled to pull parts of his parachute loose as he hurtled towards the ground. He said doctors estimated that he landed at between 70 and 100mph, but miraculously survived the impact. The hardened colonel broke his back, arm, shoulder, sprained an ankle, and suffered cuts to his head and face. Landing in a valley surrounded by ridges, Bravo knew he had to get away from the crash site and make it to higher ground. Declassified rescue footage showed Alpha’s successful rescue More video showed the moments before nearby Iranian militants were blown up He witnessed Alpha – who’d landed safely around five miles away – get rescued within hours, describing it as a “proud dad moment” to watch his younger colleagues put their training to use. But he still faced a relentless existential threat, with a £50,000 reward offered for his capture. With his injuries, most of his survival gear destroyed by the initial strike, Bravo found himself in a desperate position. But he said: “Never let a lack of motivation put you on Iranian TV.” Special operations troops destroyed two of their own aircraft after the daring mission Credit: @officialrnintel / X The charred wreckage of the destroyed AC-130s Credit: Observer 360 / X Drawing on his Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) training, the stricken Colonel was able to navigate the unknown landscape and himself out of sight for just enough time. The colonel scaled a punishing 7,000ft ridge and wedged himself in a narrow crevice. Meanwhile local tribesmen, wielding AK-47s, were already sweeping the mountains, spurred on by the bounty. Footage showed the group of men waving Iranian flags and scouring the rugged terrain in search of the downed American. They got to within just a few hundred metres of where Bravo was hiding, military sources told 60 minutes. US Defence Secretary told the show he was woken up in the middle of the night and informed of the downed plane. He said: “Whether they’re alive or not, we’re going to go get them.” The massive rescue mission that recovered Alpha, in which US choppers took fire, had been unable to locate Bravo. Operatives were given just minutes to evacuate the stranded weapons systems officer Credit: Alamy Armed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) bloodhounds were closing in at a frightening pace Credit: Rex Hegseth decided they would need to launch another mission the next day. He said: “That was a really tough decision. I’ll never forget, you know, being in the situation room and saying, ‘OK, I guess we’re gonna roll 24,’ which means, ‘Hey, Bravo’s going to be out there for basically 24 hours more.’” The CIA launched a multi-pronged deception campaign to confuse Iranian forces and pinpoint the airman’s location using top secret technology. Bombers and drones struck Iran‘s Islamic Guard forces near to where Bravo was hiding. Amongst the dozens of aircraft deployed for the rescue mission were two AC-130s, MH-6 “Minibird” attack helicopters, A-10 Warthogs designed specifically for close air support and an MQ-4 Reaper watching overhead. The US sent more than 90 troops on the ground, marking the first time they had boots on the ground in Iran in 46 years. Declassified footage shows elite Pararescue Jumpers rush to Bravo’s location, with the airman describing seeing them as “one of the greatest moments” of his life. More than two days after his jet was shot down, Bravo was returned to safety and called his wife. He said: “I was really proud of her and grateful for the strength that she showed.” The airman reflected on the brilliance of all those involved in the mission. Bravo said: “It’s a story of the teamwork, training, faith, decisions and leadership to do something that will live in history as an example of what America’s willing to do, in order to uphold our promise and leave no man behind.” He added: “I will be thankful to my dying day for my pilot and crewmate Alpha for saving our lives and ejecting us.” Comment now