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Key E-3 AWACS Damaged in Iranian Attack

45 points by inaros 6mo ago

garblegarble 6mo ago
"Damaged" is a bit of an understatement, if the photos[0] are accurate (positions do look consistent between different photos so doesn't seem like AI to me) 0: https://xcancel.com/TheIntelFrog/status/2038062541511749953 https://xcancel.com/TheIntelFrog/status/2038062541511749953
- Betelbuddy 6mo ago
  The US had only 16 of these in total. It seems there is a second one also hit. Last year they had only 55% of the fleet available at any point in time. So they have now about six available now for operations...worldwide... Much harder to coordinate air attacks without these.
- idiotsecant 6mo ago
  The back fell off, it's no big deal!
  - inaros 6mo ago
    This but a scratch... https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Z2VM18EH4WE https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Z2VM18EH4WE
- master_crab 6mo ago
  The Oklahoman and Jerusalem Post are also reporting it was a total write off.
- johnbarron 6mo ago
  Iran has now released their own images from their satellites. Shows the U.S. Air Force E-3G Sentry AWACS aircraft damaged on the runway. See update at bottom of the story: https://www.twz.com/air/images-purportedly-show-e-3-sentry-totally-destroyed-from-iranian-strike https://www.twz.com/air/images-purportedly-show-e-3-sentry-t... Also reported damage to five refuel airplanes...
pixl97 6mo ago
"Peace president succeeds again"
- __patchbit__ 6mo ago
  Seems to be the "Mule" in the Asimov Foundation scifi.
master_crab 6mo ago
I’m not an AF vet so I don’t have an idea, but what’s the over-under that the US injuries were the crew trying to get the plane ready to fly after the alert came in? I think the number of injuries lines up closely with expected crew compliment.
- johnbarron 6mo ago
  Was hit on the taxiway. See story update: https://www.twz.com/air/images-purportedly-show-e-3-sentry-totally-destroyed-from-iranian-strike https://www.twz.com/air/images-purportedly-show-e-3-sentry-t...
  - master_crab 6mo ago
    Oh this is a good article. Thanks for that. Towards the bottom they list some satellite imagery and a statement indicating they are possibly using the taxiways as parking. Still leaves open the question of who might have been injured and where, but at least answers how the Iranians could have possibly hit a taxiing plane — they didn’t.
deleted 6mo ago
[deleted]
golden-face 6mo ago
Damaged is an understatement, its aft section was completely destroyed and the plane is in two pieces. We only have like 20 E-3s, half of them can't even fly at any given time, and this one was sitting out on a runway like a sitting duck and we've had weeks to learn since those KC-130s got hit in a similar situation. It's frustrating that we're constantly being lied to about what's actually happening. $300,0000,000 phased array radar stations getting knocked out of commission by a $50,000 drone traveling at 140 MPH which a $20,000,000 SM-3 can't intercept. Weeks of 8,000 airstrikes leading to "complete annihilation" but now we need more weeks to finish the job with energy prices skyrocketing. Asymmetric warfare is a bitch.
LeFantome 6mo ago
It is looking more and more like Iran is the Ukraine to the US being Russia.
- fakedang 6mo ago
  Xi Jinping: Does nothing, wins.

45 points by inaros 6mo ago

"Damaged" is a bit of an understatement, if the photos[0] are accurate (positions do look consistent between different photos so doesn't seem like AI to me) 0: https://xcancel.com/TheIntelFrog/status/2038062541511749953 https://xcancel.com/TheIntelFrog/status/2038062541511749953

Betelbuddy 6mo ago
The US had only 16 of these in total. It seems there is a second one also hit. Last year they had only 55% of the fleet available at any point in time. So they have now about six available now for operations...worldwide... Much harder to coordinate air attacks without these.
idiotsecant 6mo ago
The back fell off, it's no big deal!
- inaros 6mo ago
  This but a scratch... https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Z2VM18EH4WE https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Z2VM18EH4WE
master_crab 6mo ago
The Oklahoman and Jerusalem Post are also reporting it was a total write off.
johnbarron 6mo ago
Iran has now released their own images from their satellites. Shows the U.S. Air Force E-3G Sentry AWACS aircraft damaged on the runway. See update at bottom of the story: https://www.twz.com/air/images-purportedly-show-e-3-sentry-totally-destroyed-from-iranian-strike https://www.twz.com/air/images-purportedly-show-e-3-sentry-t... Also reported damage to five refuel airplanes...

pixl97 6mo ago

"Peace president succeeds again"

__patchbit__ 6mo ago
Seems to be the "Mule" in the Asimov Foundation scifi.

master_crab 6mo ago

I’m not an AF vet so I don’t have an idea, but what’s the over-under that the US injuries were the crew trying to get the plane ready to fly after the alert came in? I think the number of injuries lines up closely with expected crew compliment.

johnbarron 6mo ago
Was hit on the taxiway. See story update: https://www.twz.com/air/images-purportedly-show-e-3-sentry-totally-destroyed-from-iranian-strike https://www.twz.com/air/images-purportedly-show-e-3-sentry-t...
- master_crab 6mo ago
  Oh this is a good article. Thanks for that. Towards the bottom they list some satellite imagery and a statement indicating they are possibly using the taxiways as parking. Still leaves open the question of who might have been injured and where, but at least answers how the Iranians could have possibly hit a taxiing plane — they didn’t.

deleted 6mo ago

[deleted]

golden-face 6mo ago

Damaged is an understatement, its aft section was completely destroyed and the plane is in two pieces. We only have like 20 E-3s, half of them can't even fly at any given time, and this one was sitting out on a runway like a sitting duck and we've had weeks to learn since those KC-130s got hit in a similar situation. It's frustrating that we're constantly being lied to about what's actually happening. $300,0000,000 phased array radar stations getting knocked out of commission by a $50,000 drone traveling at 140 MPH which a $20,000,000 SM-3 can't intercept. Weeks of 8,000 airstrikes leading to "complete annihilation" but now we need more weeks to finish the job with energy prices skyrocketing. Asymmetric warfare is a bitch.

LeFantome 6mo ago

It is looking more and more like Iran is the Ukraine to the US being Russia.

fakedang 6mo ago
Xi Jinping: Does nothing, wins.