Verified photographs show a U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry airborne command and control aircraft destroyed at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia following what officials say was an Iranian military strike.
The images, which first circulated on a Facebook page sharing U.S. military news, appear to show the large surveillance aircraft split into two pieces on the base’s runway area. Visual analysis confirms the pictures were taken at Prince Sultan Air Base, located about 100km southeast of the Saudi capital Riyadh. Distinctive features in the images, including pylons, storage units and markings on paved surfaces, match satellite imagery of the base.
U.S. Central Command has not yet publicly commented on the destruction of the aircraft. However, a U.S. official told Reuters on Friday that 12 American personnel were wounded in an Iranian attack on the base, including two who were seriously injured.
The Wall Street Journal also reported that at least two U.S. aerial refuelling aircraft were damaged during the strike.
Iranian media linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including the Fars news agency, claimed on Sunday that a Shahed drone struck the E-3 aircraft.
Satellite imagery captured on March 11 shows an E-3 aircraft parked at the same location on the base apron, though it remains unclear whether it is the same aircraft seen destroyed in the newly verified photos. In one of the images, the aircraft’s tail number is visible. Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 shows that aircraft was airborne near the base on March 18.
Additional satellite imagery taken on Friday shows a fire burning on the base apron roughly 1,600 meters east of where the E-3 was positioned. It is not yet confirmed whether the fire was part of the same attack that destroyed the aircraft.
The Boeing E-3 Sentry, commonly known as AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System), is a key command-and-control aircraft used by the U.S. military to coordinate air operations. Built on a modified Boeing 707 airframe, the aircraft is easily recognizable by the large rotating radar dome mounted above its fuselage.
The radar system allows operators to detect and track aircraft and potential threats over long distances, providing early warning and battlefield coordination for air operations. According to the U.S. Air Force, the system gives commanders the information needed to control air battles and manage complex military operations.
The E-3 fleet first entered service in 1977 and remains one of the most important airborne surveillance platforms in the U.S. arsenal. Despite its age, the aircraft is expected to remain operational with the U.S. Air Force until at least 2035.