Iranian F-5 Fighter Pilots Detail Penetration Strike Operation Targeting Major U.S. Airbase in Kuwait

Iranian Air Force F-5E/F fighter pilots involved in a penetration strike operation against Camp Buehring in Kuwait on March 1 have shared details regarding how they carried out the operation and evaded multiple layers of local and U.S. air defences. Although Iranian state media widely publicised footage of F-4 and F-5 fighters taking off to participate in the war effort, after the U.S. initiated an assault on the country on February 28, little has been know regarding their roles before these penetration strikes were confirmed in late April. The pilots recalled having flown in close formation at a distance of less than 15 meters and in complete radio silence, deliberately bypassing other targets such as Kuwaiti power lines and oil refineries, before directly attacking the base. The pilots claimed their attack caused significant fires and secondary explosions, including the destruction of at least one helicopter.

Iran’s penetration flight lent greater credibility to U.S. claims that three U.S. Air Force F-15E long range fighters shot down over Kuwait were indeed lost to friendly fire, as reports of Iranian fighters launching bombing runs inside the country may have sowed confusion among Kuwaiti Air Force fighter units. The F-15s were reported to have been shot down by a Kuwaiti F-18 fighters, although analysts have widely raised questions regarding the veracity of these claims. The attack on the U.S. facility in Kuwait was notably far from isolated, with at least one Iranian F-4E fighter having been used to launch a successful penetration strike over Saudi Arabia. This operation became known only because it resulted in an engagement between the F-4 and at least one U.S. Air Force F-16CJ fighter, in which the F-16s failed to shoot down the Iranian aircraft, allowing them to return to Iran. 

The F-4 and F-5 that form the backbone of the Iranian Air Force’s combat fleet are among the least capable fighter types in the world, and are Vietnam War era aircraft more than two generations behind the cutting edge. Even compared to other third generation fighter types, such as the MiG-23ML fielded by neighbouring Iraq and Syria which had advanced look-down/ shoot-down capabilities, the F-4 and F-5 are very limited in their capabilities. The inability of the U.S. and its strategic partners to counter these fighter types despite concentrating hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of aerial warfare equipment around Iran has raised serious questions regarding their viability. With Iran scheduled to receive modern Su-35 fighters in 2026, and Su-30SM2 fighters in 2027, the possibility of these aircraft being used to launch much more effective penetration strikes remains high. 

Previously, NBC News reported that the damage to U.S. military bases and equipment in the Persian Gulf region was far more severe than publicly acknowledged. Iran attacked U.S. military bases in seven Middle Eastern countries, targeting warehouses, command centres, hangars, satellite communication infrastructure, runways, advanced radar systems, and dozens of aircraft. While unmanned aircraft and ballistic and cruise missiles were responsible for the large majority of attacks, strikes by Iran’s fighter fleet served to highlight just how fragile American defences were. Penetration strikes launched by F-4s and F-5s are some of the only attacks by hostile fighters on U.S. military bases seen since the Second World War, with the limitations of U.S. and allied defences indicating that more capable adversaries such as China and North Korea could likely bring a halt to U.S. operations from forward bases using their more formidable arsenals.