US Surveillance Aircraft Destroyed at Saudi Air Base, Verified Images Show
By Tahir Shah :
Verified images appear to show a US military command and control aircraft destroyed at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia following an Iranian attack, according to visual analysis.
The photographs, which first circulated on a Facebook page focused on US military news, show what appears to be a Boeing E-3 Sentry aircraft split into two sections.
BBC Verify said it confirmed that the pictures were taken at Prince Sultan Air Base, located about 100km (62 miles) south-east of the Saudi capital Riyadh. Distinctive features visible in the images including pylons, storage units and markings on paved areas match satellite imagery of the base.
US Central Command has not yet publicly commented on the incident. The BBC has contacted the command for confirmation.
Attack on US base
On Friday, a US official told Reuters that 12 American personnel were wounded in an Iranian strike on the air base, with two reported to be seriously injured.
The Wall Street Journal also reported that at least two US aerial refuelling aircraft were damaged during the attack.
Iranian media later claimed responsibility. On Sunday, the IRGC-linked Fars news agency reported that a Shahed drone had struck the E-3 aircraft at the base.
Satellite imagery reviewed by BBC Verify also showed an E-3 aircraft parked at the same location in an image captured on 11 March, although it is unclear whether it is the same aircraft seen in the recently circulated photographs.
Satellite imagery and flight data
In one of the verified images, the aircraft’s tail number is visible. Investigators used the number to check data from the flight-tracking website Flightradar24, which showed the aircraft flying near the base on 18 March.
A separate satellite image taken on Friday appears to show a fire on the base’s aircraft apron roughly 1,600 metres east of the location where the E-3 was previously parked. It is not yet known whether the fire is linked to the same attack that damaged the aircraft.
Role of the E-3 Sentry
The Boeing E-3 Sentry commonly known as the AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) aircraft — is a surveillance and command platform based on a modified Boeing 707 airliner.
It is easily recognised by its large rotating radar dome mounted on the rear of the fuselage.
The aircraft’s radar allows it to detect and track aircraft and other potential targets over long distances, providing early warning and battlefield coordination for air operations.
According to the US Air Force, the system provides commanders with real-time information to help control and coordinate aerial combat.
The E-3 entered service in 1977 and is expected to remain operational with the US Air Force until at least 2035.
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