US Military Deliberately Destroys $100M Aircraft to Prevent Capture After Pilot Rescue

The US military deliberately destroyed one of its own aircraft valued at approximately $100 million in the Iran theater of operations, reportedly to prevent the aircraft from falling into Iranian hands following the successful rescue of the downed pilot. The decision to intentionally destroy a high-value asset underscores the operational security calculus in the conflict zone — adversary capture of advanced US aircraft could yield intelligence on avionics, stealth coatings, electronic warfare systems, and classified sensor packages. This follows earlier confirmation by Trump of the rescue of a second downed US pilot in theater. At least two US aircraft are now confirmed lost to hostile fire, with both pilots recovered.