Military releases footage of massive operation to rescue injured airman stranded inside Iran

The U.S. military released new video on Tuesday showing parts of a major combat search-and-rescue operation to recover an F-15E Strike Eagle airman stranded inside Iran after a missile strike in April. The footage documents the April rescue of the two-man crew, call sign Dude 44, after an Iranian shoulder-fired missile shot down the aircraft. Pilot Dude44 Alpha was rescued after a little more than six hours, while backseat weapons systems officer Dude44 Bravo suffered a broken back, arm and shoulder following a hard landing. Bravo remained trapped nearly two days, climbing toward a roughly 7,000-foot ridgeline before elite pararescue operators (PJs) reached him on April 5. The effort involved helicopters, drones, and bombers, then expanded to include 92 service members on the ground, before a landing-gear snag delayed extraction. Final rescue came about 50 hours after the shootdown, as Easter Sunday sunrise arrived.