An American F-15 fighter plane crashed in southwestern Iran last month. Now a new report has claimed that this plane may have been shot down by a shoulder-fired missile made in China. According to NBC News report, China may have also provided other military help to Iran during the war. It is said to include stealth aircraft technology and long-range surveillance radar systems.
American officials believe that with the help of these devices, Iran can better track modern American fighter planes, especially the F-15E Strike Eagle. During the war, US President Donald Trump had said that the plane was targeted by a shoulder-fired missile. Such missiles are called MANPADS. These are small and portable weapons, which a person can carry on his shoulder and carry. Their length is about 7 feet and weight is about 40 pounds. These are usually used to target aircraft flying at low altitude.
The search operation went on for 36 hours
After the plane fell, the US Army conducted a search operation for 36 hours to find the two crew members. There were two people on board the F-15 aircraft. Before the accident, both of them had safely jumped out of the plane using parachute. The pilot was rescued within about 7 hours. It took more time to find the other crew member, who was a weapons systems officer. The pilots remained hidden in the Zagros Mountain region of Iran and were rescued safely after about two days. US officials are still investigating which weapon was used to bring down the plane.
When did China provide the equipment?
The report says that it is not yet clear when China provided military equipment to Iran. But if Iran is actually using Chinese weapons, then this could further increase tension in the relations between America and China. America may see this as China’s indirect help to Iran. This matter has come to light at a time when the Trump administration is trying to end the US-Iran conflict with the help of China.
Earlier this month, Trump told Fox News that Jinping had assured him that China was not sending weapons to Iran. Trump said that he has confidence in this promise of Jinping and also appreciated it.
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