Iran Strikes: $300 Million US E-3 Sentry Radar Plane Destroyed at Saudi Base

Last week, an Iranian missile strike targeted a Saudi Arabian military base, resulting in the destruction of a U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry aircraft, multiple sources have confirmed. This sophisticated early warning and control plane, crafted by Boeing, is valued at approximately $300 million.

This incident marks the first time an E-3 Sentry has been lost in a combat situation. Social media quickly circulated images depicting the aircraft with its tail severed and its distinctive radar dome lying on the ground.

The strike, which occurred on March 27 at the Prince Sultan Air Base in Al-Kharj, also resulted in damage to several other military aircraft and left at least 10 service members injured.

The Hill reached out to U.S. Central Command for comments regarding the aircraft’s destruction, but they have not yet responded.

The absence of the E-3 Sentry could complicate the U.S. military’s ability to detect potential threats from Iran. According to retired Air Force Col. Cedric Leighton, who spoke with CNN, the loss of this plane and its radar capabilities, part of the airborne warning and control system (AWACS), is a “serious blow” to U.S. surveillance operations.

There are only 16 E-3s left in the U.S. fleet but not all are ready to be flown. The aging aircraft are used to spot incoming missiles and help coordinate airstrikes, with Washington sending six to the Middle East ahead of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, TWZ reported.

The U.S. war in Iran is taking a mounting toll on America’s troops and military equipment since it began just over a month ago.

At least 13 U.S. service members have been killed – six in an office space in Kuwait and six in a refueling plane crash – while more than 300 have been injured, including at least 10 critically. 

In addition, at least 17 aircraft have been shot down, crashed, or been bombed, including 10 Reaper drones, three F-15s and a KC-135 tanker, Bloomberg reported. Five other KC-135s were reportedly damaged by an Iranian missile strike on an airfield in Saudi Arabia.