Days after Iran claimed to have destroyed an E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft, images have surfaced online showing the heavily damaged aircraft at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. Photos of the jet showed that its tail had been completely cut off, rendering it unable to fly.
According to Open-Source Intelligence, details of the destroyed aircraft match the E-3C that has been deployed at the base in recent weeks.
Washington has not officially acknowledged the loss of the roughly $300 million plane, one of the costliest losses the US has suffered in the ongoing war against Iran.
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Iran’s state-run Press TV said the operation was carried out by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) using a combination of long- and medium-range missile systems along with attack drones.
Did Russia Help Iran?
According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia may have played a role in the Iranian strike.
“Russia took satellite images of a base in Saudi Arabia three times in the days before the Iranian attack on the site,” according to Ukrainian intelligence, which President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared with NBC News.
Read also | Russia shares satellite imagery and drone technology with Iran
“I think it is in Russia’s interest to help the Iranians. And I don’t believe – I know – that they share information,” Zelenskyy added. “They’re helping the Iranians? Of course. How many percent? One hundred percent.”
“We know that if they take pictures once, they are preparing. If they take pictures a second time, it’s like a simulation. The third time, it means they will attack in one or two days,” he said.
The first AWACS lost in combat
A Bloomberg report said it was the first time the US had lost an AWACS aircraft in combat.
AWACS, which has a rotating radar dish mounted above the fuselage, is used to detect distant threats and direct other combat aircraft. It provides a major advantage, and while the US operates over 60 and can replace a loss, destroying one is costly.
One KC-135 Stratotanker lost, more damaged
Previously, the US lost a KC-135 Stratotanker that crashed in western Iraq on 12 March 2026 during Operation Epic Fury, killing all six crew members. Although Iran claimed responsibility for the downing, US Central Command said the accident was an accident that involved a mid-air collision with another KC-135 that landed safely.
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There are also reports that at least one other KC-135 Stratotanker may have been destroyed by Iran during the strike on Prince Sultan Air Base. British media reports also said the KC-135 Stratotanker, which had left Ben Gurion Airport in Israel, was forced to declare a mid-air emergency.
According to aircraft tracking data, it is suspected that the plane had a hydraulic problem and they were asked if they could land at London Heathrow due to the long runway.
Both the E-3 Sentry AWACS and the KC-135 Stratotanker are based on the airframe that also produced the 707 passenger jet.
16 aircraft “officially” lost
The US has lost at least 16 military aircraft so far during Operation Epic Fury. This includes at least 10-12 MQ-9 Reaper drones and 3 F-15E Strike Eagle fighters that were lost to friendly fire.
According to a Wall Street Journal report, the cost of losses and repairs to US military assets in the first three weeks of the war with Iran is estimated at $1.4 billion to $2.9 billion.
Key things
- The destruction of the E-3 Sentry highlights the escalation of military tensions between the US and Iran.
- The role of external actors such as Russia in supporting Iran’s military operations raises regional security concerns.
- Losses of expensive military assets could significantly affect US military strategy and operational capabilities.
