Shot down over Iran, hunted for 50 hrs: How US fighter survived behind enemy lines

The officer, a weapons-systems officer identified by his mission call sign as 'Dude 44 Bravo', was rescued on Easter Sunday after spending two days injured and hiding in Iran’s mountainous desert, while Iranian forces searched for him. A US Air Force officer revealed how he survived for nearly 50 hours in Iran after his F-15E fighter jet was shot down during a strike mission in April. He shared that more than 90 American service members were eventually deployed in one of the most complex US military rescue operations in recent history.The officer, a weapons-systems officer identified by his mission call sign as “Dude 44 Bravo”, was rescued on Easter Sunday after spending two days injured and hiding in Iran’s mountainous desert, while Iranian forces searched for him. He had suffered a broken back, arm and shoulder after falling at an estimated 70-100 mph when the missile damaged his parachute.The details were revealed in Bravo’s first public account of the incident in an interview with CBS News’ 60 Minutes.US launches massive operation to find BravoThe rescue operation involved hundreds of personnel in the air and thousands more supporting the mission, according to Adm Brad Cooper, ...