American Awacs hit by Iranian fire at Saudi base, WSJ reports

An American E-3 Sentry Awacs aircraft was one of the planes damaged at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia on Friday, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing U.S. and Arab officials.

The base was struck by an Iranian attack involving both missiles and drones, which injured 12 military personnel and damaged several American refueling aircraft, WSJ added.

The E-3 Sentry is an airborne warning and control system aircraft, which helps manage the battlefield and track drones, missiles and planes hundreds of kilometers away. The aircraft provides commanders with a real-time picture of the war and allows them to assess and decide how to intercept threats, as well as manage friendly aircraft, military analysts explained.

"This is very serious," said retired U.S. Air Force Col. John "JV" Venable. "It reduces the United States' ability to see what's happening in the Gulf and to maintain situational awareness." There are a limited number of these aircraft in the U.S. Air Force fleet and cannot easily be replaced.