Iran Alleges Destruction of US Spy Plane (PHOTOS)

(SeaPRwire) –   The IRGC has stated that an E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft was hit during an attack on Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan Air Base

A critical US Air Force E-3 Sentry AWACS command and control aircraft was “completely destroyed” during an Iranian missile and drone strike on Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan Air Base, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced.

The IRGC noted in a Sunday statement that the spy plane, alongside several other US warplanes, was hit during Friday’s assault on the air base, which sits roughly 96 kilometers (60 miles) southeast of Riyadh. The statement added that the Saudi installation was targeted “in retaliation for the hostile acts of the US terrorist army,” according to the text of the announcement.

Per AP reporting, the strike utilized up to six ballistic missiles and 29 unmanned aerial vehicles, resulting in at least 15 US service members being injured, five of whom were in critical condition.

A US-based publication, Air & Space Forces Magazine, reported that an AWACS aircraft had been destroyed at Prince Sultan Air Base on Saturday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

On that same day, open-source intelligence monitor OSINTdefender posted photos on X that it stated showed the damage inflicted on the spy plane.

The aircraft appeared to have been struck in its rear section, where its iconic rotating radar dome is situated, with the blast separating the tail section from the main fuselage.

Separately, Iranian broadcaster PressTV released satellite images purporting to show the destruction of several planes at the Saudi base.

US Central Command declined to comment on the loss of an E-3 when contacted by news outlets.

Open-source flight tracking data indicates that at least six of these aircraft have been stationed at the Prince Sultan Air Base, which has been targeted by Iran three times over the past week.

Boeing manufactured roughly 70 E-3 Sentry aircraft between 1977 and 1992, with 16 of them reportedly still in service with the US Air Force. The planes are designed to provide all-weather surveillance, command, control and communications, and – despite their age – remain crucial for American military operations.

An E-3 Sentry costs around $270 million to manufacture, but an E-7 Wedgetail, which the Pentagon sees as a replacement for the older spy plane, is priced at more than $700 million.