Iran launched over 300 drones, ballistic, and cruise missiles against Israel on April 13, in a strike far larger than US military expectations.
F-15 pilot Major Benjamin “Irish” Coffey and weapons systems officer Captain Lacie “Sonic” Hester, responding to the attack, ran out of missiles during their mission.
They attempted to bring down an Iranian drone by using the aircraft’s gun, flying dangerously low and close in total darkness. The attempt failed but shows the extreme risks involved in the operation.
The pilots recounted the incident in an interview with CNN, revealing the challenges of modern aerial warfare.
“You feel the terrain rush, you feel yourself getting closer and closer to the ground. The risk was just too high to try again,” said Coffey.
US forces, including Hester and Coffey, successfully intercepted 70 drones and three ballistic missiles during the attack, largely thwarting the assault.
F-15 fighter pilots, weapons officers, and ground crew who participated described the overwhelming challenge of combating the Iranian onslaught. It was the US Air Force’s first significant test against a prolonged and large-scale drone attack, with fighters spending hours in the air.
Back at an undisclosed US military base in the Middle East, chaos prevailed as air defences intercepted missiles and drones, while troops scrambled to bunkers for safety.
This attack was anticipated as a likely Iranian retaliation for Israel’s strike on an Iranian consulate building in Syria, which killed several members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
“When we were getting our brief to go fly that night, we still had no idea. It could have just been a bust — just another sortie of flying in a circle, waiting for it to happen,” Hester said.
How did F-15 crews confront Iran’s aerial attack?
F-15 pilot Lt. Col. Timothy “Diesel” Causey revealed that the fighter pilots had limited practice before the operation. “Attack drones are a low-cost, low-risk option for the enemy. They can deploy them in massive numbers, and we must engage them to protect civilians and our allies,” said Causey adding, “We hadn’t started practising on a large scale yet.”
The attack underscored the challenges of modern warfare, where multimillion-dollar fighter jets are tasked with countering inexpensive, slow-moving drones capable of evading advanced radar systems.
“You’re dealing with targets that push the limits of a fighter aircraft’s ability to detect and respond—what we call ‘find, fix, track, target, and engage,’” said Coffey.
Many of the F-15 pilots, aircrew, and ground crew involved in the operation that night were honoured this week for their bravery. Hester and Coffey received the Silver Star, the military’s third-highest honour for valour in combat.
Wicks was awarded the Bronze Star, recognising heroism in ground combat. Causey and Culver were presented with the Distinguished Flying Cross with valour, the military’s highest award for extraordinary aerial achievement.
