A U.S. “command and control” aircraft has reportedly been destroyed or severely damaged following an Iranian missile and drone attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, according to multiple international media reports; Bloomberg noted that this marks the first known instance of such a high-value airborne surveillance and battle management aircraft being struck in an active conflict zone, while statements cited by The Wall Street Journal from U.S. and Arab officials, along with widely circulated online video footage, were also used by The Times of Israel to independently confirm the incident; reports indicate that the Friday attack left at least 12 U.S. service members injured and caused damage to several aerial refueling aircraft stationed at the base, with newly surfaced footage appearing to show a Boeing E-3 Sentry aircraft heavily impacted, a platform considered critical in modern warfare due to its advanced radar systems capable of detecting aircraft and missile threats from hundreds of kilometers away and providing real-time battlefield intelligence to commanders from the air; historically, the United States operated around 30 E-3 Sentry aircraft, but that number has been reduced to approximately 16 in recent years, raising concerns among defense analysts that the loss or damage of even a single unit could significantly strain operational capabilities, especially given that there is currently no readily available replacement, with the closest alternative, the E-7 Wedgetail, estimated to cost around $700 million per aircraft, presenting both strategic and financial challenges for future military planning.
US command and control plane destroyed in Iranian attack
