Iran

Qatar Shoots Down Two Iranian Su-24 Fencer Tactical Bombers

Published on: March 2, 2026 at 8:28 PM
Stefano D'Urso Stefano D'Urso
Qatar shot down two Iranian Su-24s
File photo of an Iranian Su-24 Fencer. (Image credit: Mehr News Agency)

The Qatari MoD says the Qatar Emiri Air Force has shot down two Iranian Su-24s, as well as seven ballistic missiles and five drones.

As the third day of combat operations against Iran draws to an end, the Qatari Ministry of Defense has announced that the Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF) has shot down two Iranian Su-24 Fencer tactical bombers on Mar. 2, 2026. These would be first two Iranian aircraft confirmed to have been shot down since the start of the conflict.

Additionally, the MoD says the QEAF intercepted seven ballistic missiles through air defenses, while five drones were shot down by the QEAF and the Qatar Emiri Navy Forces. Earlier on the same day, the MoD disclosed that two drones targeted a power plant in Mesaieed and an energy facility in Ras Laffan Industrial City, with damage yet to be assessed.

It is unclear which specific assets were used to intercept the two Su-24s, missiles and drones. The use of air defenses was only explicitly mentioned for the ballistic missiles, which would leave open the possibility of fighter aircraft being involved.

The QEAF operates three different fighter jets: the F-15QA Ababil, the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Dassault Rafale. It is worth noting that the service also operates the country’s surface-to-air missile systems, which include Patriot and NASAMS systems.

Should the F-15QA have been the asset employed to shoot down the Su-24s, the combat record of the F-15 would increase even more, reaching 106-0 air-to-air kills. Notably, F-15QAs have been active since the beginning of the attack on Iran, and at least one was spotted on flight tracking websites.

Another asset which has been flying air defense missions in the last few days, and could possibly have been used against the Su-24s, is the Eurofighter Typhoon. Moreover, on Mar. 1, a Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4 fighter deployed to Qatar with the joint British-Qatari No. 12 squadron shot down with an air-to-air missile an Iranian drone that was headed towards Qatar.

Regarding the reason for which Iranian Su-24s were flying towards Qatar, no details were disclosed. Iranian state media earlier claimed that the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force’s F-4E Phantom II fighter jets and other aircraft would be used to bomb U.S. bases in the region as retaliation.

Third day

The third day of Operation Epic Fury/Roaring Lion has seen many new notable developments.

The first news of the day was the loss of three U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets over Kuwait. Videos emerged online show one of the fighters hit by an explosion, before spiraling towards the ground.

All six crew members ejected safely and have been recovered. CENTCOM says the aircraft were lost due to an apparent friendly fire incident, which is now being investigated.

Few hours later, CENTCOM also confirmed that B-1B Lancer strategic bombers were employed against targets in Iran in the night between Mar. 1 and 2. Movements were quietly tracked by enthusiasts, revealing – while the aircraft were on their way back to the U.S. – that three bombers were involved in a round-trip mission.

In a post on social media, CENTCOM stated that the bombers were employed to strike “deep inside Iran to degrade Iranian ballistic missile capabilities.” The command did not provide details about the number of bombers and the weapons employed, although the latter are believed to be GBU-31(V)3/B JDAM bombs based on the 2,000 lb BLU-109/B bunker buster.

Continuing with the updates from CENTCOM, the command has announced that the number of U.S. service members killed in action has risen to six. A number of service members has been previously reported as injured.

The Iranian Shahid Bagheri drone carrier has been identified as one of the 11 naval vessels destroyed by the U.S. military. The carrier, a converted container ship, was delivered to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval fleet in 2025.

After a drone struck RAF Akrotiri on Cyprus, Greece has announced the deployment of naval vessels and F-16s to help defend the island. The base is the UK’s primary hub for Middle East operations and also houses U.S. Air Force U-2 aircraft.

A number of drones has been reportedly launched against the base in the last two days, with a number of them being shot down. Only one drone reportedly made it through and struck the base’s runway, though official described damage as minimal with no injuries reported.

Qatar has also announced that, in addition to missiles and drones, its air force has shot down two Iranian Su-24 Fencer tactical bombers. The two Su-24s, the first two Iranian aircraft confirmed to have been shot down while in flight, were reportedly flying towards Qatar’s airspace.

The press release by the MoD did not disclose which asset was employed to shoot down the two aircraft. There is a possibility one of the Qatar Emiri Air Force’s three fighter aircraft – the F-15QA Ababil, the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Dassault Rafale -might have been employed, with the other option being the service’s surface to air missiles.

On Mar. 1, U.S. tankers that were staged at bases in Spain were seen leaving and flying towards other bases such as RAF Mildenhall, UK, Istres Air Base, France, and Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez previously condemned the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.

It now appears that Spain’s government prompted the move. In fact, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said Spain denied the use of the bases jointly operated with the U.S. – such as Naval Air Station Rota and Morón Air Base – for the operations against Iran.

The IDF published a video of F-16 crews, seemingly recorded trough the Helmet Mounted Displays (HMD), countering surface-to-air missiles over Tehran. A missile is seen passing by in the vicinity of the aircraft.

Iranian air defenses now appears to be largely suppressed, as photos and videos of U.S. MQ-9 Reapers operating over Iran continue to emerge. Both Israel and the U.S. mentioned that local air superiority has been established, rendering the airspace safe enough for the use of these drones which would otherwise be quite vulnerable.

Notably, one of the MQ-9s has been spotted while employing air-to-ground missiles – either AGM-114 Hellfires or AGM-179 JAGMs – against unknown targets. Possible targets could have been ballistic missile launchers, which are being actively hunted.

Another possible targets could be Iran’s stockpile of one-way attack drones. A video, which shows the destruction of two Su-22 Fitter aircraft on the ground, also show what could be an Hellfire missile striking Shahed drones under a shelter.

Speaking about drones, videos emerged online claimed a possible new sighting of Israel’s secretive RA-01 drone. However, upon closer inspection, the aircraft appears to be an Israeli Orbiter 5, which has a similar shape.

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By Stefano D'Urso
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Stefano D'Urso is the Deputy Editor at The Aviationist, based in Lecce, Italy. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering. His areas of expertise include emerging aerospace and defense technologies, electronic warfare, unmanned and autonomous systems, loitering munitions, and the application of OSINT techniques to the analysis of military operations and contemporary conflicts.
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