PNN – Former Russian Defense Ministry analyst: Destroying AWACS aircraft is a huge loss for the US military
According to the report of Pakistan News Network; Karen Kwiatkowski, a former US Department of Defense analyst, told Sputnik: The destruction of a US E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control (AWACS) aircraft in Saudi Arabia by an Iranian missile attack is a serious blow to the US military:
The United States has a limited number of E-3 aircraft, which are based on older Boeing 707 airframes, and a next-generation replacement for the E-3 is not yet available.
Losing even one E-3 would put a huge strain on the remaining aircraft, as they would have to remain operational for longer. This would undermine crew morale, strain systems, and “increase the consumption of surveillance and information management capabilities.”
Other E-3 aircraft must now prioritize their defense, which may reduce the effectiveness of the radar and the surveillance and command they provide.
With many of the United States’ most important long-range radars in the region disabled by Iranian attacks, the pressure on the E-3s will worsen, and further losses among them threaten to narrow and strain the information space for battlefield commanders and American and Israeli forces.
Given the E-3’s distinctive and recognizable performance and appearance, its destruction raises concerns in the United States because it does not appear to be a “victory,” and claims of Iran’s loss of combat capability are premature, Kwiatkowski adds.