US destroyed two $100M aircraft during Iran rescue mission, WSJ reports

Aircraft used by the United States during a rescue mission in Iran and later destroyed each cost more than $100 million, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday, citing US military data. MC-130J aircraft were deployed in an operation to recover crew members of a downed F-15E fighter jet, including a second crewman who was successfully rescued.

Aircraft capabilities

According to the US Air Force Special Operations Command, the MC-130J is designed to insert and extract troops in hostile environments and can be refueled midair. The aircraft is also equipped with advanced defensive systems, including sensors to counter air-defense threats such as heat-seeking missiles. An American official said the US destroyed two of its MC-130J aircraft during the rescue mission, without providing details on how the planes were lost.

Iranian claims

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), however, said in a statement released on Sunday that its forces had destroyed "enemy flying objects" that entered central parts of the country during what it described as a failed rescue attempt. Images circulated by Iranian officials appeared to show the wreckage of at least one aircraft.

Iranian reaction

Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad-Bagher Qalibaf said in a social media post: "If the United States gets three more victories like this, it will be utterly ruined." Iranian officials also claimed that additional aircraft, including helicopters and a transport plane, were destroyed during the US rescue operation, though these claims have not been independently verified.

Rescue operation

US special operations forces rescued the second crew member on Saturday of an F-15 fighter jet downed above Iran. The rescue capped a tense 36-hour operation in southwest Iran, where US forces and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were reportedly trying to reach the missing American officer.

Conflict context

The US-Israeli strikes against Iran began Feb. 28 and have reportedly killed at least 1,340 people, including former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel and Gulf states, while the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed.