Iran’s coup de grace against USAF electronic warfare
I want to correct my report about 2 AWACS planes being destroyed. It was actually 1 AWACS E-3, but the picture actually gets worse for the US. In addition to the E-3, two EC-130Hs were damaged beyond repair.
These jets are top tier SEAD assets, vital to suppressing air defenses through jamming and monitoring. They were going to be used in the invasion of an Iranian island. The idea was these planes in addition to Growlers would target and suppress AD while the 82nd flew in with helicopters.
Iran preempted this move and destroyed the asset.
These planes are RARE, and only 3 remained in service before this attack. Now it’s just 1. These are even more painful than AWACS losses and the equipment onboard is extremely sensitive so it’s likely a total loss even if the surface damage seems less than the AWACS.
The Iranians have just murdered the United States’s ability to combat China and Russia at the same time. The US built 14 of these but it’s unlikely the decommissioned planes can still fulfil this role because the electronics within them are constantly upgraded.
(Source – X – Korobachka)
h/t Chris Martenson