Survival would have been the first thing in the mind of the F-15 Strike Eagle pilots as soon as they would have ejected out of the stricken aircraft. The moment they would have hit the ground, their Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) training would have kicked in and both of them would have known what to do.The duo had to ensure that they did not reveal their locations to Iranian forces and civilians alike, while at the same team they would have had to keep in touch with their rescuers. Normally armed forces across the world maintain radio silence so as to not reveal their position, but in complex cases like these the ejected aircrew would have had to maintain contact with their rescuers. Aircrew around the world are taught SERE techniques for this very contingency, how to survive and evade capture hundreds of kilometers behind enemy lines. In this case both the pilot and the Weapons System Operator or WSO (pronounced Wizzo), both of them fell back to their training.The downed crew, did have one trick up their sleeves that helped them communicate with friendly forces. Critically, this too in a manner without revealing their location to an enemy equipped with advanced signal locating and signal jamming equipment.The downed US aircrew are said to have been using the AN/PRQ-7 Combat Survivor Evader Locator (CSEL). This handheld survival radio is used by US and NATO units. This critical piece of equipment provides a secure, two-way, satellite based communication system. The handheld system can also be used for locating using GPS and can be used as a beacon.The CSEL transmits the location of the user in pre-programmed bursts of information using Search And Rescue Satellite (SARSAT) and Ultra High Frequency (UHF) radio.The device has been designed with the principles of Low-Probability-of-Intercept/Detection. The built in mechanisms in the system make it difficult for the system to be located while it is being used. The hand-held radio also has selective availability and anti-spoofing module, this ensures that those using the system have an additional layer of security based on encrypted radio messages. The system also has 23 pre-programmed messages that can be sent as an encrypted burst, thereby not revealing the sender's location that can be otherwise tracked by radio triangulation.The use of this system has been critical in the successful extrication of the pilot and the WSO in two separate missions. The CSEL has played a central role in this operation, not only did it keep the pilots in touch with rescuers, it also ensured their safety as it gave them an invisibility cloak under the glaring gaze of a strong signals environment.