Newly declassified footage has been released, showing the historic rescue mission for two US Air Force F-15 pilots who were downed in Iran earlier this year.
In a segment on 60 Minutes, host Norah O’Donnell spoke to Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine, who walked her through footage of the rescues of Dude 44 Alpha, the first pilot recovered, and Dude 44 Bravo, the second.
“Anytime you go behind enemy lines in daylight, it’s going to be dicey. We would much rather go at night,” Caine said, discussing the rescue of Alpha, where the US sent over 20 aircraft behind enemy lines in broad daylight. “Given the threat to 44 Alpha, the decision was taken to boldly go behind enemy lines in daylight to make sure that we could get to him before anybody else could.”
Video from Bravo’s rescue shows US strikes against Iranian forces in the area before a US helicopter locates him atop a hill. The Iranians can be seen running away before being disintegrated.
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