Here's how US combat search-and-rescue crews save downed fighter pilots in the middle of a war

A HH-60W Jolly Green II, the Air Force's specialized search-and-rescue Black Hawk, at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, Feb. 25, 2026.

Airman Bre Lewis/US Air Force

• A US F-15E was downed over Iran on Friday, triggering a rescue effort, according to multiple reports.
• One crew member has been recovered; the status of the second is unclear.
• Air Force combat search-and-rescue crews fly low and slow through serious threats to recover downed airmen.

When a US aircraft goes down in combat...