Iranian Missile Strike Destroys Rare $300M U.S. AWACS Jet on Saudi Base – First Combat Loss of Its Kind

In a significant escalation of regional tensions, an Iranian missile attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia has resulted in the first known combat loss of a Boeing E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft.

The roughly $300 million jet was destroyed on the ground, and several other military jets were damaged, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Unverified photos circulating online show the aircraft’s tail completely severed, rendering it unflyable. The E-3 Sentry, easily recognized by its rotating radar disc mounted above the fuselage, is used to detect distant threats and direct friendly combat aircraft.

Its loss is a major blow, even though the U.S. operates more than 60 of these planes.

“It’s a big deal,” said Peter Layton, a former Royal Australian Air Force officer. “It highlights that large aircraft are vulnerable on the ground and need active defense. That is hard to do all the time; sometimes it fails.”

The attack is part of a broader Iranian campaign that has seen more than 1,200 ballistic missiles and at least 3,300 Shahed cruise missiles launched at regional targets.

While the U.S. has not lost any crewed aircraft in air-to-air combat against Iran, over a dozen MQ-9 Reaper drones have been shot down. An earlier Iranian strike also damaged several KC-135 refueling tankers on the ground.

US Central Command has not yet commented on the loss. Three other Sentry aircraft have been lost in accidents since the 1970s, but none to enemy fire until now.