‘They will not give up’ until they find missing crew memberpublished at 01:41 BST
01:41 BST
Grace Eliza Goodwin
Reporting from New York
Experts are telling the BBC that the ongoing search for the missing crew member of the downed US fighter jet is extremely time-sensitive, as Iran races to locate the same personnel as US combat search and rescue crews.
“It’s the most dangerous military mission that I know of,” says James Jeffrey, a military strategist and top US diplomat who has served as special representative for Syria and special envoy to the international military intervention against Islamic State (IS) group in Iraq.
Such missions are often conducted by helicopters, with refuelling aircraft in support and other military aircraft on hand to conduct strikes and patrol the area. Verified video that emerged from Iran on Friday appears to show such a mission under way over Khuzestan province.
“These are Air Force special operations people who are trained almost to the level of Delta Force and Navy SEAL Team Six, but they also have medical capabilities,” Jeffrey tells the BBC. “They will not give up until they can find a pilot if they think there’s any chance.”
When a jet is shot down over enemy territory, the pilot and crew from that aircraft are also highly trained for such a situation.
“Their number one priority is to stay alive and to avoid capture,” Jennifer Kavanagh, a senior fellow and the director of military analysis at think tank Defense Priorities, tells the BBC.
“And so they’re trained to – assuming that they’re physically capable, and not so injured that they can’t move – to try to get away from the ejection site as quickly as possible, and to conceal themselves so that they are safe.”
They’re also trained in survival techniques so they can go without food or water or find resources from the local terrain for as long as possible, Kavanagh adds.