Woke up to learn that we lost 3 F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets to friendly fire. All six pilots ejected and survived.
The cause of the incident is under investigation, according to CENTCOM. The jets were flying in support of the military operation against Iran, dubbed Operation Epic Fury.
Kuwait’s defense ministry had said in the early hours of Monday morning that “several” US fighter jets crashed but did not specify exactly how many or what had caused it. The fighter jets each cost tens of millions of dollars.
[...]
One video geolocated by CNN shows a fighter jet crashing over Kuwait near a US air base. The video shows a jet on fire and falling in a tailspin out of the sky, and it suggests the jet came down within 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) of the US Ali Al Salem base in Kuwait.
Other videos geolocated by CNN appear to show a fighter jet pilot on the ground in Kuwait after ejecting from an aircraft.
Source, with video. I'm not sure that it is normal to capture so much video, btw. That said, I did quick math on the price of these jets.
From the Air Force website:
Crew: Pilot and weapon systems officer
Unit cost: $31.1 million (fiscal year 98 constant dollars)
Initial operating capability: September 1989
Inventory: 219 total force
(Current as of April 2019)
Adjusted for inflation? - $61,230,000
each. In total, $183.69 million. For perspective on the cost?
That's just a drop in the bucket for all the wealth of people in the Epstein files.
Happy Monday, I guess.
Raine