Verified photographs show a US Air Force command and control aircraft severely damaged at an air base in Saudi Arabia. The images indicate the aircraft, an E-3 Sentry surveillance plane, was effectively torn into two sections.
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The pictures appear to have first circulated on a Facebook page that posts US military news. Analysis confirms they were taken at Prince Sultan Air Base, roughly 100km south-east of the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
Images confirm damage to US surveillance aircraft
Details visible in the images, including pylons, storage units and ground markings on the paved apron, match features seen in satellite imagery of the base. This verification confirms the location where the aircraft was photographed.
US Central Command has not publicly commented on the incident. A request for comment has been sent.
Attack reported to have injured US personnel
A US official told Reuters on Friday that 12 American personnel were wounded during an Iranian military attack on the air base. Two of the injured were reported to be in serious condition.
The Wall Street Journal also reported that at least two US aerial refuelling aircraft were damaged in the same attack.
Iranian media later offered its own account of the strike. On Sunday the Fars news agency, which is linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported that a Shahed drone had struck the E-3 aircraft.
Satellite imagery adds further context but does not confirm the precise moment of the damage. An E-3 aircraft can be seen at the same location in an image taken on 11 March, though it cannot be confirmed whether it is the same aircraft shown in the photos.
One of the verified images shows the aircraft’s tail number. Using this identifier, flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 indicates that the plane was airborne near the base on 18 March.
Separate satellite imagery captured on Friday appears to show a fire on the air base apron around 1,600 metres east of the E-3’s location. It remains unclear whether that fire was linked to the same attack that damaged the aircraft.
Role of the E-3 early warning aircraft
The E-3 Sentry is a key airborne surveillance platform used by the US Air Force. The aircraft is based on the Boeing 707 airliner and is easily identified by a large rotating radar disc mounted above the rear of the fuselage.
The radar system allows the aircraft to detect and track aircraft and other potential threats across large distances. This early warning capability enables commanders to monitor airspace and coordinate combat operations.
According to the US Air Force, the aircraft provides commanders with the information needed to gain and maintain control of air battles.
The E-3 entered service in 1977 and remains an important part of US airborne surveillance capability. Reports indicate the aircraft type is expected to remain in operation with the US Air Force until 2035.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 30 March 2026
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