Three US fighter jets crashed in Kuwait on Monday, with all six crew members ejecting safely.
The US military said the jets were flying in support of the military operation against Iran, dubbed Operation Epic Fury. It said the cause of the incident is under investigation, though another stated that it was due to an “apparent friendly fire incident.”
It further the Kuwaiti air defenses accidentally shot the F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets down late Sunday evening ET time.
Kuwait’s defense ministry had said in the early hours of Monday morning that “several” US fighter jets crashed but did not specify exactly how many or what had caused it. The fighter jets each cost tens of millions of dollars.
The statement comes after videos circulating online showed a fighter jet spiraling before crashing to the ground.
“During active combat—that included attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones — the U.S. Air Force fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses,” the CENTCOM statement said.
“The crews were evacuating from the crash sites and transferred to hospital to assess their condition and provided necessary medical care,” he said.
The crew members are in a “stable” condition, the ministry added
