The media BBC and CNN have verified that pictures of an E-3 surveillance plane were taken at a base in Saudi Arabia.
Verified images shows that a US military surveillance plane has been destroyed at a military base in Saudi Arabia.
This is written by the British media BBC.
In the pictures you can see the plane, which is of the type E-3 Sentry. It appears here to have been split in two.
According to the BBC, it appears that the images of the wrecked plane were initially shared on a Facebook page that relays news about the US military.
The BBC has been able to confirm that the photos were taken at the military base Prince Sultan Air Base. It is located about 100 kilometers southeast of Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh.
Not officially confirmed
In the images, you can see masts, storage units and markings on the paved parts of the ground, all of which agree with satellite images of Prince Sultan Air Base, the media writes.
However, the US military has not officially commented on the incident or confirmed that the plane has been destroyed.
The American media CNN also describes the images of the destroyed plane, which the media has also been able to geolocate to the base in Saudi Arabia.
The media reports that the E-3 Sentry aircraft has apparently been destroyed in an Iranian attack on the military base.
In the photos, you can see the characteristic rotating radar dome of the E-3 Sentry aircraft on the ground next to the destroyed plane, writes CNN.
Used for tracking both enemy, allied and neutral forces
According to CNN, the aircraft, which is often simply called the E-3, is a critical aircraft for the United States as it plays a central role in US control of a combat zone.
With the AWACS warning and control system, it can monitor a combat area of up to 310 square kilometers from the air.
The aircraft can also track around 600 targets at once, allowing the crew on board to relay precise information to commanders and soldiers elsewhere about exactly where a given force is located.
It can thus be used for tracking both enemy, allied and neutral forces, writes the media.
The American trade magazine Air & Space Forces Magazine writes that the US Air Force has 16 E-3 Sentry aircraft.
/ritzau/
