Cover Ups In Iran | Unfiltered
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What happened to the downed F‑15E crew and why does it matter?
Six months into the war with Iran, how long can we sustain this? And our decisions being made inside the Pentagon actually making America safer? Today, I'm joined by a fellow fighter pilot, Nicole Malachowski. We're going to cut through the noise and talk about what Americans should really be paying attention to. Nicole, welcome to Truth in the Barrel.
Amy, it's good to see you. I feel like a lifetime's worth of news has happened since just a few weeks ago last we chatted. Every time
something happens, I'm like, I wish I had Nicole on the show this week.
Well, thank you. I love chatting about these things with you too, but I don't know if you're like me, like every morning I wake up and I'm like, I've got to take quite a few moments to get prepared before I pick up my iPhone and look at the news.
I know. I know. So I want to start out on this show with the 60 Minutes story about the F-15E crew that was shot down over around in April. Because you are one of the first people I thought about when all of this was happening and the 60 Minutes interview came out. I was like, wow, I really want to know what Nicole is thinking. So just to catch everybody up, What this air crew endured, they were shot down, I believe, in April. What they endured was extraordinary. The air crew survived a surface-to-air missile hit of their aircraft. They survived ejection from the aircraft. That's extraordinary. Then they were behind enemy lines deep in Iran. There was a massive rescue operation that brought them back to safety.
Successful in the sense that They're safe, which is great. So let's just start with what happened because this is the type of jet that you flew, right?
Yes, yes. I was an F-15E strike fuel pilot my whole career. In fact, I think I got a model of it right there.
Excellent. Not as good as the F-18, but.
Well, we can talk about that some other time. It's a hardy aircraft. So I got to tell you, you know, the fact that they took a direct hit, they were still both able to sequence an ejection. We know that his parachute, Bravo's parachute was damaged probably in that strike, which made obviously his descent back to Mother Earth a little bit more sporty and high risk. But that is a hardy, hardy aircraft. And I'm so glad they were in a strike eagle that day.
Yeah, and you know, the rescue operation was extraordinary. But here we are in September. The administration and the Pentagon decide to get these guys on 60 Minutes to do an interview about their recovery. It's supposed to be sort of a feel-good story. Look how great the military is. We don't leave a man behind. I get all that. But that really wasn't my reaction to the 60 Minutes interview. As a fighter pilot, as somebody who's flown in combat, I'm interested in yours.
Yeah, I mean, I think, first of all, I know you agree with me. Thank goodness this crew is safe. Thank goodness they're back home with their family and their friends. I think it is a testament to the training of our fighter air crew. It's a testament to the folks that maintain those aircraft and those ejection seats and all of that survival equipment. And I think also, like, what a reminder to of just the skill set of our combat search and rescue teams. I mean, their motto is so others may live. And I think that they trained entire careers for this moment. And so, you know, a plus to everybody here. But I was just really, I guess, taken aback a little bit that we would tell this story so soon while they're still actually, you know,
combat operations going on and people out there flying in harm's way. Because even though Bravo did a fine job, I think, obviously, media trained, not disclosing anything that was classified, our adversaries are still watching this. They're still studying this. And I worry a little bit about, I guess, just the timing of it while combat operations are going on. And the other thing that kind of caught me off guard was Showing his face, you know, I think that that is a very big, I think, risk for himself, his family, the squadron. So I do have a question on, you know, why that decision was made.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
What happened to the downed F‑15E crew and why does it matter?
0:00–10:58
2
Why do the hosts question the timing and narrative of the 60 Minutes interview?
10:58–21:50
3
How credible is the claim that the F‑15E was shot down by a MANPAD versus an integrated air‑defense system?
21:50–36:57
4
What are the strategic implications of the Houthis seizing the Bab al‑Mandab island?
36:57–45:29