Iranian Drone Strike Destroys U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry AWACS at Saudi Air Base

An Iranian drone strike destroyed a United States Air Force Boeing E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia on March 27, 2026, marking what analysts described as the most damaging single strike against American forces since the start of hostilities on February 28. The aircraft, belonging to the 552nd Air Control Wing and deployed as part of Operation Epic Fury, was split in half by the impact, according to images verified by BBC Verify. Twelve US military personnel were injured in the attack, two of them seriously, according to Reuters. At least two Boeing KC-135 refueling tanker aircraft were also damaged in the same strike, as reported by The Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. The IRGC claimed responsibility on Sunday, March 29, stating that a Shahed drone struck the E-3 aircraft and describing the action as a response to what it called the hostile actions of the American military. US Central Command had not publicly commented on the incident as of the time of reporting.

Fleet now down to 15 aircraft after confirmed loss The destruction of the aircraft reduces the total US Air Force E-3G fleet from 16 to 15 operational units, according to the French outlet 20minutes, with six of those aircraft having been deployed in the Middle East theater prior to the loss. The E-3 Sentry, a military derivative of the Boeing 707 commercial airliner, carries a rotating radar dome mounted on the rear of its fuselage and can surveil a battlefield area of up to 311,000 square kilometers, from the Earth's surface to the stratosphere, according to Lidovky.cz. The aircraft's estimated cost was $270 million in 1998, equivalent to approximately $545 million in inflation-adjusted terms, according to BBC. Operating, upgrading, and maintaining each aircraft can cost nearly $30 million per year, BBC reported. In 2015, the US Air Force operated 32 such aircraft; the fleet has been declining steadily as the Pentagon seeks a replacement in the form of the Boeing E-7 Wedgetail. BBC Verify confirmed the authenticity of the images by matching visible elements in the photographs — including masts, storage units, and markings on hardstand areas — against satellite imagery of Prince Sultan Air Base, located approximately 100 km southeast of Riyadh.

15 (aircraft) — US E-3G AWACS remaining after Saudi base strike

US E-3G AWACS fleet size: Fleet size before 2015 (before: 32 aircraft (2015), after: 15 aircraft (after March 27, 2026 strike))

CNN analyst raises possibility of Russian targeting assistance CNN military analyst Cedric Leighton, a former US Air Force colonel who flew aboard the E-3 aircraft, assessed the loss in stark terms.

„The loss of the AWACS is a serious blow to (US) surveillance capabilities” — Cedric Leighton via CNN

Leighton added that the strike could affect the ability of the United States to direct fighter aircraft and guide them to targets, or protect them from attacks by enemy aircraft and missile systems. He also raised the possibility of Russian involvement in the strike, saying that Moscow most likely provided Iran with geographic coordinates and satellite imagery that made it possible to determine the exact location of the aircraft. The E-3 had last been tracked in flight near the base on March 18, according to flight-tracking data cited by BBC Verify, and satellite imagery from March 11 had also placed an E-3 at the location, though it could not be confirmed as the same aircraft. Etienne Marcuz, an associate researcher at the Foundation for Strategic Research, noted on X that the E-3G aircraft are aging platforms whose replacement is long overdue, and that each loss carries significance not only for the current conflict but also for any potential future tensions in the Indo-Pacific region.

Iran has struck more than seven US bases since February 28

Operation Epic Fury, the US and Israeli military campaign against Iran, commenced on February 28, 2026, according to US Central Command. The operation marked the beginning of direct armed hostilities between the United States and Iran. The E-3 Sentry first entered the US Air Force fleet in 1978 and has served as a cornerstone of American airborne surveillance and command coordination for nearly five decades. The Boeing 707-derived platform has been gradually phased down from a fleet of 32 aircraft in 2015 as the Pentagon has sought a next-generation replacement.

Kelly Grieco, an analyst at the Stimson Center, wrote on X that since February 28, Iran had struck radar and communications infrastructure at more than seven US bases across Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, targeting systems used to track incoming missiles and coordinate the air defense network. Grieco characterized these as deliberate rather than opportunistic targets, describing them as the logistics and command layer of the entire air war. The strike on Prince Sultan Air Base involved both drones and missiles, according to multiple reports, with the IRGC specifically attributing the E-3's destruction to a Shahed drone. Despite a truce announced by US President Donald Trump, hostilities have continued, with Iran launching attacks against US and Israeli targets across the region, according to 20 minutos. The Pentagon had not issued an official statement on the destruction of the aircraft as of the time of reporting, and US Central Command had not responded to BBC's request for comment.

Key events: Iran strikes on US forces since February 28, 2026: — ; — ; —