Verified images show that a US military surveillance plane has been destroyed at a military base in Saudi Arabia.
This is reported by the British media BBC.
The images show the plane, which is an E-3 Sentry. It appears to have been split in two.
According to the BBC, it appears that the images of the destroyed plane were initially shared on a Facebook page that provides news about the US military.
The BBC has been able to confirm that the images were taken at the Prince Sultan Air Base military base. It is located about 100 kilometers southeast of the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh.
Not officially confirmed
The images show masts, storage units and markings on the paved areas of the ground, all of which are consistent with satellite images of Prince Sultan Air Base, the media outlet writes.
However, the US military has not officially commented on the incident or confirmed that the plane has been destroyed.
The American media outlet CNN also describes the images of the destroyed plane, which the media outlet was also able to geolocate to the base in Saudi Arabia.
The media outlet says that the E-3 Sentry plane has apparently been destroyed in an Iranian attack on the military base.
In the images, the characteristic rotating radar dome of the E-3 Sentry plane can be seen on the ground next to the destroyed plane, CNN writes.
Used to track both enemy, allied and neutral forces
According to CNN, the aircraft, often simply called the E-3, is a crucial aircraft for the United States, as it plays a central role in the United States' control of a combat area.
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, which allows the crew on board to pass on precise information to commanders and soldiers elsewhere about the exact location of a given force.
It can thus be used to track both enemy, allied and neutral forces, the media writes.
The American trade magazine Air & Space Forces Magazine writes that the United States Air Force has 16 E-3 Sentry aircraft.
/ritzau/
