The video circulating online captures the moment when the Kuwaiti F/A-18 fires on the American fighter. The incident occurred on Monday, when the same Hornet reportedly shot down three F-15E Strike Eagles over Kuwaitin rapid succession.
According to available information, both the F/A-18 Hornet and the three F-15E Strike Eagles were conducting air defense missions in the country’s airspace at the time. However, during the operation the Hornet pilot apparently identified the F-15Es as hostile aircraft and shot them down with three air-to-air missile launches. The shoot down shown in the video appears to involve an AIM-9 missile.
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Interestingly, the F/A-18 Hornet and the F-15E Strike Eagles apparently were not connected through an Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) system. This is somewhat surprising given that the two countries are close allies. It is possible that the system malfunctioned, was disabled, or that the Kuwaiti pilot simply ignored it.
The video also shows that the F/A-18 was flying relatively close to the F-15E at the moment of launch. This suggests that the pilot was not only tracking the aircraft on radar but could likely see its silhouette visually and potentially identify the type. This would be even more likely if targeting pods were used.
Iran does not operate aircraft whose silhouette could realistically be mistaken for that of an F-15E. Under such circumstances, the shoot down appears particularly unusual. One possible explanation is that the Kuwaiti pilot may have been under significant stress and misidentified the aircraft as hostile, especially if the pilot lacked experience.
It is also worth noting that public opinion in the Middle East is not always favorable toward the United States and its actions, even in countries such as Kuwait that maintain strong relations with Washington. Therefore, the possibility that the Hornet pilot deliberately shot down the three F-15Es out of personal motives cannot be entirely ruled out, although such a scenario appears unlikely.
In any case, the full details of the incident remain unknown. More information is expected as the investigation continues, and official findings are released.
This episode is likely to go down in history as the most expensive friendly fire incident in modern times, with losses estimated at around $300 million for the United States.
Read more: Three F-15E Strike Eagles Lost in One Morning: Analyzing Strategic, Financial Impact of Costliest Friendly Fire Incident
