Images confirmed by multiple sources indicate that a US command and control aircraft has been heavily damaged at an airbase in Saudi Arabia. The visual evidence, first disseminated via a Facebook page focused on US military news, reveals the E-3 Sentry aircraft appears to have been split in half.
These photos have been corroborated with satellite imagery of the Prince Sultan air base, located roughly 100 kilometers southeast of Riyadh, which match features such as pylons and storage units visible in the pictures.
As of now, US Central Command has not issued any public statement regarding the incident, and inquiries from the BBC are pending a response.
Earlier reports indicated that 12 US personnel had been injured—two critically—due to an Iranian military attack on the same air base. Additionally, the Wall Street Journal noted that at least two US refueling aircraft were also impacted by the assault.
According to Iran's IRGC-linked Fars news agency, a drone strike targeted the E-3 aircraft. Verification efforts by BBC Verify have shown a satellite image capturing the same aircraft location on March 11, although a direct connection to this incident cannot yet be established.
One of the verified images displays the aircraft's tail number, which was tracked via Flightradar24, indicating it was operational near the base as recently as March 18.
Moreover, a satellite image captured on Friday showed signs of fire on the base apron, suggesting further complications from the recent attacks, although the exact nature of the damage remains unclear.
The Boeing E-3 Awacs, recognized for its distinctive radar systems, allows for the detection and tracking of potential threats at extended ranges, supporting air operations control and command decision-making. The aircraft, which has been in service since 1977, is expected to remain operational with the USAF until 2035.
