US War Zone Report Claims Iran Destroyed American Aircraft at Prince Sultan on Friday Morning
Reports emerging from the latest hours indicate that a U.S. Air Force E‑3G/Sentry airborne early warning aircraft was reportedly destroyed in an alleged Friday morning missile strike at Prince Sultan airbase, Saudi Arabia. Newly released images and online reports describe dramatic scenes of total destruction matching tail number 81-0005 while other sources note serious injuries to troops on the ground during this pivotal attack that damaged key command-and-control assets.
Key Points
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1Images reportedly show multiple U.S. military aircraft destroyed or damaged in an alleged Iranian missile and drone strike at Prince Sultan Air Base on March 27.
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2A specific E-3G Sentry AWACS plane, identified by tail number 81-0005 as a deployed E-3C model matching the visual evidence of destruction.
Developments
Perspectives
Images circulating online appear to show a U.S. E-3G Sentry aircraft destroyed in an Iranian missile and drone strike at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia.
— [Mar 29, 08:25] US E-3 AWACS reportedly destroyed in Iranian strike (Ukdefencejournal.org.uk)Multiple U.S. military planes are reported to have been damaged during the attack on March 27th at Prince Sultan Air Base.
— [Mar 29, 06:05] Images Purportedly Show E-3 Sentry Totally Destroyed From Iranian Strike (The War Zone)Staggering images reportedly show catastrophic damage to a U.S. jet following an attack that seriously injured American troops on the ground.
— [Mar 29, 06:05] Dramatic photos 'show destroyed US Air Force planes after Iranian missile strike' (Daily Mail)Newly released OSINT data identifies tail number 81-0005 as a U.S. E-3C aircraft that was deployed to Prince Sultan and appears to have been completely destroyed.
— [Mar 29, 06:47] Newly released photos appear show US Air Force plane 'totally' destroyed (AZ Intel)A pivotal command-and-control AWACS jet among the damaged aircraft in an attack that injured more than ten service members on March 28.
— [Mar 29, 01:45] Key E-3 Damaged In Iranian Attack On Saudi Air Base (Airandspaceforces)Images circulating online reportedly show a damaged U.S. Air Force E-3G Sentry aircraft from Prince Sultan Base in Saudi Arabia following an alleged Iranian missile and drone attack on March 29, 2026. The damage is concentrated around the rear fuselage housing critical components of its AN/APY-2 radar system used for airborne command and control operations.
On March 27th in a reported attack involving drones or ballistic missiles at Prince Sultan Air Base that injured ten U.S. service members, high-resolution satellite imagery and ground-level photos allegedly show the total destruction of an E-3 AWACS aircraft (serial #81-0005) on its main apron while other assets were relocated to isolated taxiways for protection; however, experts caution these images remain unconfirmed until further verification.
Staggering photos reportedly show an Iranian missile strike that destroyed two E-3G Sentry airborne warning planes at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia while seriously injuring approximately 15 American troops. The attack concentrated damage on critical rear sections housing the radar and surveillance systems, leaving one aircraft completely ravaged with its tail section detached amidst scattered debris.
Newly released photos allegedly depict a U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry with the specific identification of being destroyed by Iran at Prince Sultan Airbase on Friday and matching tail number 81-0005, an aircraft deployed there in recent weeks according to OSINTTechnical reports.
A U.S. E-3 Sentry command and control aircraft sustained significant damage during a March 27 Iranian missile attack at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, injuring more than ten service members including two seriously wounded individuals. While the extent of repairs remains unconfirmed by officials due to declining mission-capable rates for aging fleets like this one, experts warn that losing an actively deployed AWACS could hinder U.S. battlefield management capabilities.