WASHINGTON, United States: The CIA Iran rescue operation used deception measures and classified technology to help locate a downed U.S. Air Force officer before more than 90 American troops entered Iran, CBS News reported.
The officer used the mission call sign “Bravo” and served as the weapons-systems officer aboard an F-15E. The aircraft went down south of Isfahan on April 2. CBS said an Iranian shoulder-fired missile brought it down.
Reaction distilled the operation into a more direct criticism of the Islamic Republic’s military capabilities.“They came right into Iran, picked up their pilot and took him away,” the user wrote, mocking Iranian authorities for apparently failing to detect the scale of the rescue operation.
Bravo’s parachute was damaged during the ejection. He told CBS that he struck the ground at an estimated 70 to 100 mph, breaking his back, arm and shoulder.
His pilot, identified as “Alpha,” landed about five miles away and was rescued first. Bravo remained behind enemy lines for roughly 50 hours while Iranian forces searched the area, according to the U.S. account.
Read: F-15E Iran Shootdown Survivor Recalls Two-Day Escape
The CIA then ran a deception campaign intended to confuse Iranian forces while using classified technology to locate Bravo.
Read: US military on High Alert as Iran Tensions Threaten Energy Supply
U.S. bombers and drones struck nearby Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps positions before the second rescue force moved. More than 90 U.S. service members entered Iranian territory during the operation.
U.S. Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper described the mission as the first time U.S. troops had entered Iran on the ground in 46 years.
CBS also reported that two rescue aircraft became stuck in desert sand during the withdrawal. U.S. forces destroyed them, along with smaller helicopters, to prevent the equipment from falling into Iranian hands.
