Washington, Aug 2 (DPA) The remains of a US Navy pilot who went missing during a bombing run in the first Gulf War in 1991 have been found in Iraq, the Pentagon confirmed Sunday.

The fate of Michael Speicher has been a mystery for 18 years. He had been the subject of multiple Pentagon investigations as the uncertainty over his status caused it to be changed from missing in action to captured.

The Pentagon said the military received a tip in early July from an Iraqi citizen about the possible location of Speicher's remains. US Marines in al-Anbar province then went to a spot in the desert believed to the crash site of Speicher's F/A-18 Hornet.

The remains were excavated during the past week and flown to the US. An analysis of dental records showed the remains were Speicher, although DNA tests were ongoing, the Pentagon said.

'Our Navy will never give up looking for a shipmate, regardless of how long or how difficult that search may be,' Admiral Gary Roughead, chief of naval operations, said in a statement.

'We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Captain Speicher and his family for the sacrifice they have made for our nation and the example of strength they have set for all of us.'

Speicher's F/A-18 went down Jan 17, 1991. He was the first casualty of Operation Desert Storm to expel Saddam Hussein's forces from Kuwait.