A key U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentinel command and control aircraft was damaged in an attack on March 27 iranian missiles and drone attack at Prince Sultan Air Force Base, Saudi ArabiaPeople familiar with the matter told Air & Space Force magazine. The attack injured more than 10 soldiers, two of them seriously. Other damaged aircraft included an air tanker.
Photos purporting to show a damaged E-3 Sentinel command and control aircraft have surfaced on social media.
Air & Space Force magazine reviewed a picture showing severe damage to an aircraft at Prince Sultan Air Force Base. Based on runway markings and aircraft markings, the image appears to show an E-3 stationed at a Saudi base.
Open source flight tracking data shows that before the incident, as many as six E-3s were stationed at Prince Sultan Air Force Base. Previously, “Air Force and Space Force” magazine previously reported that a U.S. Air Force E-3 and tanker aircraft were damaged in an Iranian attack on March 27.
Why the E-3 Sentry early warning aircraft is important
AWACS aircraft have helped manage battlefields in major conflicts in the past. As early as the 1970s, the Air Force began using AWACS to provide command and control and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. They were used in Operation Desert Storm, the wars in Kosovo, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the counter-ISIS mission known as Operation Resolve.
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According to the National Interest, the E-3 Sentry developed in the United States is one of the most widely used AWACS (airborne early warning and control system) aircraft in existence. It has since been exported to France, the UK and Saudi Arabia.
‘Incredibly problematic’ loss
Air power experts believe the loss of the aircraft could hamper the Air Force’s ability to manage the battlefield, as it is apparently being actively used in current operations. “Losing this E-3 is an incredible issue given the importance these combat managers have to all aspects of airspace deconfliction, aircraft deconfliction, targeting and providing other lethal effects that the entire force needs in the battle space,” said Heather Penney, a former F-16 pilot and director of research at AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Experts say losing the aircraft could leave a gap in the Air Force’s battlefield awareness and management. It could also lead to missed opportunities against Iranian forces.
“In the short term, this is a significant loss for the war effort,” said Kelly Grieco, a defense policy expert and senior fellow at the Stimson Center. “There’s going to be a consequence of that. There’s going to be a gap in coverage.”
Penney explained that fighter pilots are particularly reliant on the images of the battlefield provided by AWACS aircraft.
“The value of the E-3 and the combat managers is their ability to see the big picture,” Penney said. “They are chess masters, and [fighter pilots] It’s the bishop. “
Prince Sultan Air Base is one of the most important U.S. military hubs in the Middle East. It maintains a variety of aircraft supporting operations against Iran.
“This is certainly not random,” Grieco said, adding that Iran appeared to be attempting an “asymmetric counter-air strike” by attacking radars, communications sites, aircraft and bases.
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“This appears to be a deliberate effort to go after a key enabler of U.S. air power,” Grieco said.
Pentagon leadership is skeptical about purchasing the E-3’s proposed replacement, the E-7 Wedgetail. Instead, it supports space-based systems.
“We in the combat management profession, whether it’s combat managers or airframes, take too many risks,” Penney said. “Space is going to be an incredible capability, but it’s not here today. That’s an example of how we don’t always get to choose the timeline for conflict, so we can’t wait for future capabilities that aren’t in the force today.”
Penney added: “The E-7 is urgently needed to replace the E-3, and the loss of this E-3 will not only put pressure on the career field, but also on capabilities, combat managers, and how that pressure affects the effectiveness of the entire force, which highlights the need to expedite E-7 procurement and delivery.”
Penney also explained that the loss of this E-3 will place a greater burden on the remaining AWACS aircraft and may deplete them faster.
“This further stresses the force, and because we haven’t invested in combat management aircraft in decades, we are reaping the consequences,” Penney said.
