A Kuwaiti Air Force F/A-18 Hornet accidentally engaged and destroyed three U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles during a high-stakes defensive operation against Iranian drone swarms.
KUWAIT CITY – The incident occurred late Tuesday night as regional forces scrambled to intercept dozens of one-way attack drones launched toward several strategic targets.
According to preliminary reports from Central Command (CENTCOM), the engagement took place in a “highly saturated” electromagnetic environment. The Kuwaiti pilot, part of a joint patrol tasked with thinning out the incoming drone waves, reportedly suffered a catastrophic failure of Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) protocols.
Amidst the darkness and the sheer volume of low-flying targets, the F/A-18 pilot fired multiple beyond-visual-range missiles, mistakenly locking onto the larger signatures of the American Strike Eagles rather than the intended suicide drones.
Social media footage captured the moments of the ejection, showing parachutes drifting safely away from the spiraling, flame-engulfed wreckage of the Strike Eagles.
A joint U.S.-Kuwaiti board of inquiry has been established to determine exactly how the IFF systems failed and why the F/A-18’s radar-guided missiles prioritized the friendly aircraft. Investigators are also looking into whether Iranian electronic warfare may have played a role in spoofing the Hornet’s targeting systems.
Despite the tragedy, coalition officials stressed that the defensive mission was largely successful, with over 90% of the Iranian drones intercepted before reaching their targets.
