Iran destroyed a US E-3 Sentry aircraft at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia during a missile attack. Photos published online show serious damage to the aircraft, including a completely destroyed tail and fuselage sections, indicating the plane is irreparably damaged.

US officials initially claimed the aircraft sustained only minor damage, but the published images reveal far greater destruction than was previously reported.

The E-3 Sentry serves as an early warning and control platform, equipped with a rotating radar disc for detecting threats from a distance and coordinating fighter jets during operations. The US military has approximately 16 such aircraft, and production has ended, making every loss exceptionally significant for radar surveillance capabilities.

The value of the destroyed aircraft is estimated at approximately 300 million dollars.

A former officer of the Royal Australian Air Force, Peter Layton, stated that this incident shows "how vulnerable large aircraft are on the ground and how much active protection is needed," emphasizing that maintaining constant security represents an enormous challenge.

Several other military aircraft at the base also sustained damage in the same attack.