US Loses Vital Early Warning Plane After Brutal Iranian Missile Strike in Saudi Arabia
Deadly Missile Barrage Hits Prince Sultan Air Base
Tehran launched a savage attack on Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan Air Base on Friday, firing six ballistic missiles and unleashing 29 drones in a deadly barrage just 60 miles from Riyadh. The ferocious strike wrecked key US military assets and rattled American operations in the region.
AWACS Plane Reduced to Mangled Rubble
Stark images reveal the wreckage of a prized E-3G Sentry AWACS early warning aircraft, tail number 81-0005, from the 552nd Air Control Wing. The jet’s midsection was blown to bits, exposing vital electronics, while the tail lay collapsed amid twisted debris. Damage struck the rear housing the crucial rotating radar dome, slashing America’s already thin fleet of airborne command centres vital for real-time battle monitoring.
Rising Casualties Amid Growing Tensions
About 15 US troops were wounded in the strike, five seriously. Prince Sultan has been a frequent target, and this latest assault is among the deadliest on American forces in the region:
- Earlier attacks wounded 14 troops.
- Another strike recently damaged a US plane with no casualties.
- Over 300 US personnel wounded since conflict began; 13 dead, including Army Sgt. Benjamin N Pennington.
Most injured have returned to duty, but roughly 30 troops remain sidelined, including at least ten gravely wounded.
US Military Beefs Up as Iran Ratchets Up Pressure
Washington now boasts its largest Middle East military presence in over 20 years — around 50,000 troops, multiple warships, and two aircraft carriers in the area. The USS Tripoli, carrying 2,500 Marines, recently joined the USS Boxer and other forces.
Meanwhile, Iran is tightening control over the vital Strait of Hormuz, blockading a key oil supply route and rattling global markets with rising fuel prices and threatened supply chains.
President Donald Trump has given Tehran an April 6 deadline to reopen the strait, but Iran refuses to budge.
