Viral images circulated online and verified by the AFP show the E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System Aircraft (AWACS) ripped in two following Friday’s missile and drone assault.
The destruction of the $270 million aircraft is a significant blow to America’s ability to get a real-time picture of battle and assess incoming attacks in the Middle East, retired Air Force Col. John Venable told The Wall Street Journal.
“It’s a huge deal,” he told the outlet. “It hurts the US’s ability to see what’s happening in the Gulf and maintain situational awareness.”
