A spokesperson for U.S. Central Command declined to comment on the incident. An image reviewed by Air & Space Forces Magazine appeared to show significant damage to an E-3 at the base, although the extent of the damage has not been independently confirmed.
If confirmed, officials said the damage could render the aircraft unrepairable. Six E-3 aircraft had been stationed at the base prior to the attack, based on open-source data.
The E-3 AWACS has played a central role in U.S. air operations since the late 1970s, providing command and control as well as intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. It has been widely used in conflicts including Operation Desert Storm, the Kosovo war, and operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and against Islamic State.
However, the fleet has declined to 16 aircraft, with mission-capable rates around 56 percent in fiscal 2024. Experts said the loss of an operational E-3 could significantly affect the Air Force’s ability to manage air operations.
“The loss of this E-3 is incredibly problematic, given how crucial these battle managers are to everything from airspace deconfliction, aircraft deconfliction, targeting, and providing other lethal effects that the entire force needs for the battle space,” said Heather Penney.
Analysts said the damage could create gaps in battlespace awareness and limit targeting effectiveness. “It’s a significant loss for the war in the short term,” said Kelly Grieco. “That has a consequence. There are going to be coverage gaps.”
Penney said fighter pilots depend heavily on AWACS for situational awareness. “The value of the E-3 and the battle managers is they see the big picture,” she said. “They’re the chessmaster, while [fighter pilots] are the bishops.”
Experts said Iran appears to be targeting key enablers of U.S. airpower, including radar systems, communications infrastructure, and support aircraft. “It’s certainly not random,” Grieco said.
“It seems like it is a deliberate campaign to go after the critical enablers of U.S. airpower,” she added.
Officials said the loss will place additional strain on the remaining AWACS fleet and could affect coverage in the region. The situation also highlights ongoing concerns about the aging fleet and delays in fielding replacement systems.
“We’ve simply taken too much risk in the battle management career field, both with the battle managers and with the airframes,” Penney said. “Space will be an incredible capability, but it is not here today. And this is an example of how we don’t always get to pick the timelines of conflict, so we can’t wait for future capabilities that are not in the force today.”
“The E-7 is desperately needed to replace the E-3, and the strain that the loss of this E-3 will impose upon not just the career field, but the capabilities, the battle managers, and how that then ripples across the effectiveness in the entire force, underscores the need to accelerate the procurement and delivery of the E-7,” she continued.
More than 300 U.S. service members have been wounded in Operation Epic Fury so far, with 13 killed, according to officials. The conflict has also resulted in damage or loss of multiple aircraft, including tankers, drones, and fighter jets, further straining U.S. airpower capabilities in the region.
Source: Air & Space Forces Magazine.
