Kuwaiti jets suspected of taking down three US F-15s in 'friendly fire': All you need to know about the F/A-18 Hornet

Three US F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets went down over Kuwait on Sunday in what American officials have described as an “apparent friendly-fire incident,” amid escalating hostilities linked to the Iran conflict.

According to reporting by The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with preliminary findings, a Kuwaiti F/A-18 Hornet is suspected of having mistakenly launched missiles that struck the US aircraft during joint operations.




A US official quoted in the report said three missiles were fired toward the American jets, which subsequently went down over Kuwaiti territory. All six crew members ejected safely and were later recovered. They are reported to be in stable condition.

The United States Central Command initially described the episode as an “apparent friendly-fire incident,” saying the aircraft were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defences during active combat conditions that included incoming Iranian drones and missiles. Investigations are ongoing.

What Is the F/A-18 Hornet?

The F/A-18 Hornet is a US-made, twin-engine, supersonic multirole combat aircraft designed to carry out both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. The “F/A” designation signifies its dual fighter and attack role.

The aircraft was developed by McDonnell Douglas in partnership with Northrop and entered service with the United States Navy in 1983. It was built for aircraft carrier operations and later exported to several US allies, including Kuwait.

Boeing, which acquired McDonnell Douglas in 1997, now manufactures the newer F/A-18 Super Hornet variant. Boeing says the F/A-18 Super Hornet is the "backbone of carrier air wings".

Key features of the legacy F/A-18 Hornet include:

• Twin turbofan engines
• Maximum speed of around Mach 1.7
• Carrier-capable design
• Nine external weapons stations
• Ability to carry radar-guided and infrared air-to-air missiles
• An internal 20mm cannon

Kuwait ordered its fleet in 1988, with deliveries taking place between October 1991 and August 1993. US and Australia also use these jets. In one interesting fact, the F/A-18 jets, which were featured in Tom Cruise-starrer "Top Gun: Maverick"