Search and rescue operations are seeing a major strategic shift spurred by a flurry of new technologies, ranging from drones to  search and extraction ground robots . When a shoulder-fired missile downed an American F-15 Strike Eagle fighter jet, kicking off one of the largest rescue missions in recent memory, a GPS-enabled radio from the early 2000s may have been the deciding factor. During the two day rescue mission, over 150 aircraft helped recover the two airman, a pilot and weapons systems operator. According to U.S. officials, the pilot was rescued within hours of the crash on Friday, while his partner, an unidentified colonel, was stranded with little more than a handgun and a communications device. After a furious 50 hours in which the U.S.…