The American pilots who were mistakenly shot down in Kuwait were met by locals who were eager to help — after they verified the fliers were from the USA and not Iran.

Kuwait has long been a strong ally of the US — Iraq’s 1990 invasion of the country sparked the first Gulf War.

But US pilots may have had another trick up their sleeves — so-called “blood chits,” papers that American pilots have carried for decades that promise a reward from the US government for anyone who provides assistance.

After the $31 million F-15E Strike Eagle jets were shot down on Monday, videos and images quickly emerged of the service members encountering startled Kuwaitis afraid that the pilots were Iranian fighters.

Fortunately, the language barrier proved not to be a problem as the locals assisted the pilots, who for decades have carried multi-language documents designed to help a stranded pilot find safety — even behind enemy lines.

These blood chits were first deployed by the British Army in 1842 in Afghanistan, with the US implementing them for their own fighters in 1941 during operations in China.

The blood chits went into popular use during World War II, with the program making some 42 payments for soldiers rescued by civilians during the Korean War, the New York Times reported.

Blood chits were notably reinstated during Operation Desert Storm, where an international military coalition, led by the US, helped liberate Kuwait from Iraq.

It was not clear if the Americans who were shot down during Monday’s incident were carrying blood chits with them, as their usage has been classified.

All six crew members on board the F-15E Strike Eagle jets ejected to safety, with images of their encounter with confused Kuwaitis going viral.

Although some of the encounters were tense, the crew members were rescued by the residents and taken to medical facilities, where they were all listed in stable condition.