The United States has recorded the first confirmed wartime loss of an E-3 Sentry early warning aircraft, following an Iranian missile strike on a military base in Saudi Arabia.

According to information from a source with knowledge of the operations, the attack occurred at Prince Sultan Air Base in recent days, causing damage to several military aircraft and completely destroying the specific AWACS, valued at approximately $300 million.

In a video, the rear section of the aircraft can be seen severed, rendering it non-operational.

The E-3 Sentry, also known as AWACS, serves as the “eye” in the sky, as it is equipped with a rotating radar mounted above the fuselage and is used to detect threats at long ranges, as well as to coordinate fighter aircraft. Its loss, although it can be replaced from the fleet of over 60 units operated by the United States, is considered operationally and financially significant.

As Peter Layton, a former officer of the Royal Australian Air Force, noted to Bloomberg, “it is a major blow,” emphasizing that even large and critical aircraft remain vulnerable when on the ground, despite protective measures.