Daring rescue of U.S. airman

New details have emerged regarding the complex military operation to rescue an American aviator whose fighter jet was shot down over Iran.

The airman survived for 48 hours in a mountainous region while Iranian militias closed in, eventually being located through a sophisticated signal intelligence and deception effort.

Hundreds of elite troops and dozens of aircraft were involved in the 'ring of steel' extraction, which President Trump has hailed as a major victory.

However, reports indicate that multiple U.S. aircraft may have been destroyed during the recovery mission to prevent sensitive technology from falling into enemy hands.