WASHINGTON — Department of Defense officials expressed "quiet confidence" Friday that the ongoing search for a missing F-15E Strike Eagle crew member over Iran is proceeding at an acceptable rate of secondary equipment attrition.

The search, which began after the $50 million fighter jet was downed by Iranian fire, has so far successfully expanded to include a search for the wreckage of an A-10 Thunderbolt II that crashed in Kuwait after being struck during the rescue attempt. Additionally, two Blackhawk helicopters have been “formally introduced” to the conflict by absorbing Iranian ground fire while scouring the countryside.

“We are currently looking for one pilot using a strategy that has, thus far, required the ejection of a second pilot and the emergency maintenance of several others,” said a Pentagon spokesperson, speaking from a briefing room where the 'Mission Success' slides had been hastily updated to include a larger font for 'Ongoing Efforts.' “From a logistical standpoint, we are essentially creating a breadcrumb trail of high-value wreckage that will eventually lead us directly to the original site.”

Sources confirm the rescue mission has been given added urgency following reports that a regional Iranian governor offered a bounty for the downed airmen. In response, the U.S. has increased the number of aircraft in the area, a move analysts say provides the Iranian air defense teams with a significantly more target-rich environment to practice their coordination.

When asked if the loss of a Strike Eagle, a Warthog, and the damaging of two Blackhawks constituted a setback for the campaign, leadership remained steadfast. “No, not at all,” noted the Commander-in-Chief during a brief press availability where he reminded reporters that “It’s war,” a technical definition that conveniently accounts for the $140 million in hardware currently transitioning into scrap metal.

At press time, the Records Division confirmed that a second, larger rescue team was being assembled to search for the first rescue team, should the current 3:1 aircraft-loss-to-pilot-recovery ratio continue to hold steady through the weekend.