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The Intercept • Nick Turse

Iran downs U.S. F-15E; one crew rescued, one missing — USAF A-10 crashes near Strait of Hormuz

OSINT images indicate Iran shot down a U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle, the first confirmed loss of a crewed U.S. fighter in the war; one crewman was rescued and a second remains missing. Nearly concurrently a USAF A-10 crashed near the Strait of Hormuz; its pilot is reported safe.

2026-04-03T09:16:15.174965-07:00

Wall Street Journal

U.S. F-15E Downed Over Iran During Operation Epic Fury — First Jet Lost After 13,000 Sorties

2026-04-03T10:51:19.454508-07:00

politico.eu

Austria blocks U.S. military flights over its airspace, cites constitutional neutrality amid Iran conflict

2026-04-02T09:20:05.519721-07:00

AeroTime

USAF uses EA-37B Compass Call in operations against Iran before formal IOC

2026-04-02T11:22:02.543836-07:00

News Timeline

Wall Street Journal

U.S. F-15E Downed Over Iran During Operation Epic Fury — First Jet Lost After 13,000 Sorties A U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle was downed over Iran during Operation Epic Fury — the first U.S. jet lost after 13,000 combat sorties. Two crew reportedly ejected; a combat search-and-rescue involving Black Hawks and a C-130 is underway, but the pilot has not been recovered.

2026-04-03T10:51:19.454508-07:00

U.S. F-15E Downed Over Iran During Operation Epic Fury — First Jet Lost After 13,000 Sorties

The Intercept

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Iran downs U.S. F-15E; one crew rescued, one missing — USAF A-10 crashes near Strait of Hormuz OSINT images indicate Iran shot down a U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle, the first confirmed loss of a crewed U.S. fighter in the war; one crewman was rescued and a second remains missing. Nearly concurrently a USAF A-10 crashed near the Strait of Hormuz; its pilot is reported safe.

2026-04-03T09:16:15.174965-07:00

Iran downs U.S. F-15E; one crew rescued, one missing — USAF A-10 crashes near Strait of Hormuz

SpaceWatch Global

Culture, Not Cash, Is Europe’s Biggest Obstacle to Rearmament Defense budgets are expanding at a pace not seen in decades, but pouring money into armed forces won't deliver capability unless procurement culture changes. National silos, risk-averse acquisition practices, and duplicated projects blunt the impact of extra funding and slow urgent rearmament.

2026-04-03T03:00:03.394639-07:00

Culture, Not Cash, Is Europe’s Biggest Obstacle to Rearmament

AeroTime

Pentagon weighs anti‑drone laser deployments at US sites The Pentagon is considering broader deployment of laser‑based counter‑drone systems at select U.S. locations after a series of drone incursions near military bases and other sensitive sites. The deliberation signals an effort to accelerate fielding of directed‑energy tools to detect and defeat small UAS on domestic soil.

2026-04-02T13:25:58.058091-07:00

Pentagon weighs anti‑drone laser deployments at US sites

AeroTime

USAF uses EA-37B Compass Call in operations against Iran before formal IOC The U.S. Air Force has deployed the EA-37B Compass Call electronic-attack jet in operations against Iran in the Middle East, marking the platform's first known combat employment. The sorties took place before the aircraft was formally declared operational, demonstrating early operational use of the new EW asset.

2026-04-02T11:22:02.543836-07:00

USAF uses EA-37B Compass Call in operations against Iran before formal IOC

SpaceNews.com

Pentagon awards Raytheon $45M for GPS ground system amid program review The Pentagon has awarded Raytheon a $45 million contract to develop and support a GPS ground system while the program's future is under reassessment. The funding covers near-term work as Defense officials review the program's scope and long-term role in U.S. PNT infrastructure.

2026-04-02T10:27:23.724267-07:00

Pentagon awards Raytheon $45M for GPS ground system amid program review

Aviation Today

Army scales SkyFoundry, brings in commercial partners to hit one‑million drones by 2028 The U.S. Army's SkyFoundry drone initiative has "evolved" to bring in commercial partners and scale U.S. production toward a goal of one million low‑cost systems by 2028. The shift signals a move from experimental buys to monthly mass manufacture and expanded counter‑drone capability.

2026-04-02T09:38:58.208150-07:00

Army scales SkyFoundry, brings in commercial partners to hit one‑million drones by 2028

politico.eu

Austria blocks U.S. military flights over its airspace, cites constitutional neutrality amid Iran conflict Austria has denied U.S. requests to use its airspace for military operations related to the Iran conflict, invoking its constitutional neutrality law. Vice‑chancellor Andi Babler said the country "wants nothing to do with Trump's policy of chaos and his war."

2026-04-02T09:20:05.519721-07:00

Austria blocks U.S. military flights over its airspace, cites constitutional neutrality amid Iran conflict

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Defense Policy News

Iran downs U.S. F-15E; one crew rescued, one missing — USAF A-10 crashes near Strait of Hormuz

U.S. F-15E Downed Over Iran During Operation Epic Fury — First Jet Lost After 13,000 Sorties

Austria blocks U.S. military flights over its airspace, cites constitutional neutrality amid Iran conflict

USAF uses EA-37B Compass Call in operations against Iran before formal IOC

News Timeline