A Kuwaiti Air Force F/A-18 Hornet may have mistakenly shot down three U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles over Kuwait on March 2, 2026, during combat operations supporting Operation Epic Fury, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar with initial findings.
The incident occurred at 07:03 local time amid active threats from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones penetrating Kuwaiti airspace. U.S. Central Command initially described the losses as friendly fire from Kuwaiti air defenses, with all six crew members ejecting safely, recovering in stable condition, and receiving medical checks at a Kuwaiti hospital. Kuwait’s Ministry of Defense confirmed the crashes, launched search-and-rescue operations, and initiated a joint investigation with U.S. forces.
The WSJ account specifies a single F/A-18 pilot misidentified the approaching F-15Es as hostiles under heightened alert, firing three missiles in an air-to-air engagement. Damage analysis of wreckage, including one F-15E with missing vertical tails and burning engines, suggests tail-aspect shots from lighter air-to-air weapons like AIM-120 AMRAAMs or AIM-9 Sidewinders, consistent with crew survival. Earlier that day, an Iranian drone struck a U.S. tactical operations center at Port Shuaiba on March 1, killing six Americans and elevating force-protection measures.
While ground-based systems like Patriot or Hawk missiles remain a possibility, the air-to-air scenario aligns with visual evidence and operational context in shared coalition defense against evolving threats. Investigations continue to clarify identification procedures and engagement timelines.