Who Is “Bravo”? 60 Minutes Iran Rescue Interview Identifies F-15E WSO as Colonel Jonathan Bott
Jonathan Bott and the F-15E Strike Eagle
The F-15E Strike Eagle is a two-seat derivative of the F-15 designed for both air-to-air combat and precision strike missions.
Unlike a single-seat fighter, the F-15E divides the workload between two highly trained aviators.
The pilot sits in the front cockpit.
The Weapons Systems Officer, or WSO, sits behind the pilot.
The WSO is responsible for a broad range of mission tasks involving navigation, sensors, targeting, weapons employment, electronic systems, communications and tactical coordination.
That distinction is important when discussing “Bravo.”
The 60 Minutes interview describes Bravo as the back-seat Weapons Systems Officer, not the pilot.
CBS reported that the two-person F-15E crew was operating under the mission callsign Dude 44. The pilot was referred to as “Alpha,” while the WSO was referred to as “Bravo.”
According to CBS, the F-15E was hit by an Iranian shoulder-fired missile during an April combat mission.
The aircraft was catastrophically damaged.
The two airmen ejected.
But they landed separately.
That separation transformed an aircraft emergency into a major personnel-recovery operation.
September 15, 2026 | 9:19 am
