Overview
- Photos that surfaced Sunday, following Friday’s strike on Prince Sultan Air Base, show E-3G Sentry 81-0005 with its rear fuselage burned out and the radar dome torn off in images that appear to show a total loss.
- People familiar with the incident say more than 10 U.S. service members were wounded, including two seriously, and several KC-135 refueling tankers were damaged.
- The aircraft at issue is an AWACS, a flying command post that tracks threats and directs fighters and other aircraft, so the loss can create short gaps in surveillance and control.
- The U.S. E-3 fleet has fallen to about 16 aircraft with low readiness, and experts say this damage could add pressure to speed the E-7 Wedgetail replacement plan.
- CENTCOM has declined public comment as details rely on open-source reporting that describes a coordinated attack using ballistic missiles and one-way attack drones.