Kuwaiti F/A-18 Shoots Down Three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles in Friendly Fire Over Kuwait, CENTCOM Confirms

A Kuwaiti Air Force F/A-18 Hornet shot down three U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles in a blue-on-blue engagement over Kuwait on March 2, 2026, with pilots bailing out safely, according to a CENTCOM statement. The War Zone reported the engagement appeared to occur within visual range using AIM-9 Sidewinder heat-seeking missiles, with two F-15E crew members confirmed ejecting. Military aviation experts described the triple friendly-fire incident as extraordinarily improbable, with a former F/A-18 pilot stating he had "genuinely no idea" how such a mistake could occur. An investigation is underway into the circumstances of the unprecedented incident.