Live Conflict Israel-US vs Iran War (2026)

[Passenger]

Claim that the destruction of E-3 is a "major blow" is nonsense. Because E-3 are currently in process of replacement by E-7. 13 E-3 where retired in 2023. You can take these back to service u need them so much.

Come on, it is not me but the US people called it "major blow".
I cannot image which can be more important than an awacs. B2?
Is it the attitude you adopt towards the losses of your allies? Just deny all the fact?

Wait, you donot know some E-3 was update to E-3G and keep service? And the E-7 program is still in process but not been put into production yet? USAF cannot gain better choice before 2030.

 

[Passenger]

@500
Here is the Isreal media report.

The loss of an E‑3 Sentry AWACS carries strategic consequences far beyond the physical destruction of a single airframe as it degrades the ability to detect incoming hostile threats and coordinate any retaliatory response.

“The loss of this E-3 is incredibly problematic, given how crucial these battle managers are to everything from airspace deconfliction, aircraft deconfliction, targeting, and providing other lethal effects that the entire force needs for the battle space,” Heather Penney, a former F-16 pilot and director of studies and research at AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies told Air and Space Forces magazine.

Iran strike on Prince Sultan airbase destroys key US Air Force platforms | The Jerusalem Post

The Friday strike not only injured troops, but it destroyed refuelers and an E-3 Sentry aircraft

www.jpost.com

 

[Sanchez]

Claim that the destruction of E-3 is a "major blow" is nonsense. Because E-3 are currently in process of replacement by E-7. 13 E-3 where retired in 2023. You can take these back to service u need them so much.

E-7 procurement is stalled, frames are not coming online anytime soon. It is true that some E-3s were recently mothballed, but those aircraft were mothballed for a reason, youngest of them is from 1983 and they've been lying around for few years, so you can't just replace the lost one tomorrow. It is no doubt a major loss of capability.

It is also true that for US, E-3s are not the only ball in the play; they have space based systems as well as E-2s online.

 

[500]

E-7 procurement is stalled, frames are not coming online anytime soon.

That only proves my point. They are not really needed nowadays, when every fighter with AESA radar basically can serve as mini AWACS + there are UAVs carrying radars.

It is true that some E-3s were recently mothballed, but those aircraft were mothballed for a reason, youngest of them is from 1983 and they've been lying around for few years, so you can't just replace the lost one tomorrow. It is no doubt a major loss of capability.

1983 is pretty young age for such plane. Israel is using such planes from 1960-es. If they were needed no one would phase out them.