Iran claims destruction of US spy plane (PHOTOS)
A key US Air Force E-3 Sentry AWACS command and control aircraft has been “100% destroyed” in an Iranian missile and drone strike on the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has said.
The spy plane was hit along with several other US jets during Friday’s attack on the installation, located some 96 km (60 miles) southeast of Riyadh, the IRGC said in a statement on Sunday. The Saudi base was targeted “in response to hostile actions of the US terrorist army,” it read.
Up to six ballistic missiles and 29 UAVs were used, leaving at least 15 US troops wounded, including five in serious condition, according to AP.
Air & Space Forces Magazine, a US publication, reported the destruction of an AWACS aircraft at the Prince Sultan Air Base on Saturday, citing people familiar with the matter.
The same day, OSINTdefender, an open-source intelligence monitor, published photos on X it claimed captured the damage done to the spy plane.
Pictures show the total loss of 81-0005, an E-3G “Sentry” Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) Aircraft with the U.S. Air Force’s 552nd Air Control Wing based out of Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, following yesterday’s Iranian ballistic missile and drone attack on Prince… pic.twitter.com/NNnILybnrU
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) March 29, 2026
It appeared to have been struck in its rear section where its distinctive rotating radar dome is located.
Meanwhile, 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 approached by the media.
Open-source flight tracking data suggests that at least six such planes have been stationed at the Prince Sultan Air Base, which has been targeted by Iran three times in the last week.
Boeing produced around 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.
