The F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down over southwestern Iran in April, marking the first time in decades that a US fighter jet had been downed by enemy fire. At the time, President Donald Trump said the aircraft had been struck by a shoulder-launched missile.
A new report is raising serious questions about China’s role in the conflict between the United States and Iran, after it emerged that the missile which likely brought down an American fighter jet (F-15E Strike Eagle) last month may have been made in China.
The F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down over southwestern Iran in April, marking the first time in decades that a US fighter jet had been downed by enemy fire. At the time, President Donald Trump said the aircraft had been struck by a shoulder-launched missile.
NBC News is now reporting, citing three people with knowledge of the matter, that the weapon used was probably of Chinese manufacture. Shoulder-launched missiles of this type, formally known as man-portable air defense weapons or Manpads, are roughly seven feet long, weigh around 40 pounds and offer a relatively cheap and effective way to bring down low-flying aircraft.
US officials are still investigating the full circumstances surrounding the shootdown, the sources told NBC News.
Both Crew Members Made It Out
The two-man crew aboard the jet ejected safely over Iran. The pilot was located and rescued within seven hours. The weapons systems officer took considerably longer to find, spending two days hiding in the foothills of the Zagros Mountains before being successfully rescued, according to the Pentagon.
China’s Possible Role Goes Beyond the Missile
The NBC News report adds another layer to the story. According to one of the sources and a separate US official with knowledge of the matter, China may also have supplied Iran with a long-range early-warning radar system capable of detecting stealth aircraft, potentially in the early stages of the conflict. Stealth technology is specifically designed to avoid radar detection, making such a system particularly significant if the claim is confirmed.
It remains unclear exactly when either piece of military equipment changed hands, or whether the shoulder-launched missile came from a recent delivery or from older Chinese weapons stockpiles that had been shipped to Iran in previous years.