New prince sultan air base damage photos are giving the public a closer look at the impact of Iranian missile and drone attacks on the U.S.-used military facility in Saudi Arabia.
The images were obtained by CBS News from active-duty U.S. service members. The service members provided the photographs anonymously because of military media restrictions. The images show damaged aircraft, buildings and other equipment at U.S. positions in the Middle East.
One of the most notable images from Prince Sultan Air Base shows a badly damaged E-3 Sentry aircraft.
The aircraft is used for airborne early warning and control. The photos show severe damage to the aircraft, including a burned fuselage and a missing rear section.
The new images add to satellite evidence that had already shown damage at the Saudi base.
What the New Photos Show
The recently released photographs provide a ground-level view of damage that was previously difficult to assess.
At Prince Sultan Air Base, the most significant image shows an E-3 Sentry aircraft that was struck during an Iranian attack.
The aircraft appears heavily burned. Its tail section is no longer intact.
Earlier satellite imagery had also shown the aircraft after the March 27 strike. Anadolu Agency reported that satellite imagery captured the destroyed AWACS aircraft at the base.
The E-3 Sentry is a large aircraft designed to provide airborne surveillance and command-and-control capabilities.
Losing one can therefore affect more than the aircraft itself. It can also reduce the number of available platforms for a particular mission.
Other images released in recent reporting show damage at additional U.S. military positions in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
Those photographs include damaged buildings, vehicles and aircraft.
CBS News reported that the images were provided by U.S. service members. The Pentagon did not respond to CBS’s request for comment on the photographs at the time of publication.
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Satellite Images Had Already Shown Damage
The new prince sultan air base damage photos are not the first evidence of damage at the installation.
Commercial satellite imagery had previously been used to examine the aftermath of the strikes.
A Washington Post analysis published in May found damage to or destruction of numerous structures and pieces of equipment at U.S. military sites across the Middle East. The analysis included Prince Sultan Air Base and identified damage involving an E-3 Sentry aircraft and a refueling tanker.
Satellite imagery can be particularly useful when access to a military site is restricted.
It allows analysts to compare images taken before and after an attack.
Those comparisons can reveal changes to runways, aircraft parking areas, buildings and other visible structures.
A later analysis published by Al Jazeera also examined satellite imagery from Prince Sultan Air Base.
That analysis reported damage in several areas of the base, including signs of charring on the tarmac and damage to nearby structures.
The different forms of evidence help provide a broader picture.
Ground photographs can show the condition of individual aircraft and buildings.
Satellite images can show the wider area.
Neither type of imagery automatically explains exactly how an attack unfolded, however. That requires additional evidence and official confirmation.
The E-3 Sentry Became a Major Focus
The destroyed E-3 Sentry has attracted particular attention.
The aircraft is commonly known as an AWACS aircraft. Its role is to provide airborne surveillance and help coordinate military operations.
The aircraft can detect and track objects over a wide area.
That makes it an important support platform.
The damage is significant because E-3 aircraft are specialized systems. They are not as easy to replace as ordinary transport aircraft.
Reports about the March 27 strike said the E-3 was hit while at Prince Sultan Air Base.
The War Zone published images shortly after the incident and reported that ground-level photographs appeared to show the aircraft had been destroyed. The publication also noted that some satellite imagery could not initially be independently confirmed.
Later satellite imagery provided additional visual evidence.
Anadolu Agency reported in May that satellite imagery captured the aftermath of the strike and showed the destroyed aircraft at the Saudi base.
The new photographs now provide another view of the aircraft.
Together, the images help confirm that the aircraft suffered major damage.
What Happened at Prince Sultan Air Base?
Prince Sultan Air Base is located in Saudi Arabia, south of Riyadh.
The facility is used by the Royal Saudi Air Force and has also served as an important location for U.S. military operations in the region.
Its location makes it strategically important.
During the conflict, Iranian missile and drone attacks have targeted U.S. positions across several Middle Eastern countries.
U.S. Central Command has said attacks occurred at positions in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman and Jordan.
Prince Sultan was one of the facilities affected.
The scale of the damage has become clearer as more imagery has emerged.
The Pentagon’s inspector general has also documented extensive equipment losses connected to the conflict.
According to reporting on the inspector general’s findings, Iranian attacks damaged or destroyed hundreds of buildings at U.S. military sites across the region. The report also identified significant aircraft and equipment losses.
The figures cover multiple countries, however.
They should not be interpreted as damage at Prince Sultan Air Base alone.
That distinction is important when examining the new photographs.
Why the Photos Matter
The prince sultan air base damage photos matter because military facilities are normally difficult for journalists to access during an active conflict.
Official statements may provide broad information.
Images can show something different.
They can reveal the condition of equipment and infrastructure after an attack.
In this case, the photographs provide visual evidence of damage that had already been partly documented through satellite imagery.
They also show the condition of an aircraft that is difficult to replace.
However, photographs have limitations.
A single image does not reveal the full extent of damage at a military base.
It may also be difficult to determine when a photograph was taken without reliable metadata or independent verification.
That is why news organizations often compare photographs with satellite imagery, videos and other sources.
The strongest conclusions come when several independent sources point to the same event.
That approach has been used in reporting about Prince Sultan.
Satellite imagery, ground photographs and military reporting have all contributed to the available picture.
Damage Was Reported at Other U.S. Positions
Prince Sultan was not the only U.S. military facility affected.
Recently released images also showed damage at American positions in Kuwait.
CBS News reported photographs showing destroyed or damaged buildings, vehicles and other equipment at multiple sites.
Camp Buehring was among the locations discussed in reporting.
The camp is used by U.S. ground forces and supports military operations in the region.
Camp Arifjan was also affected.
The Pentagon inspector general’s findings provide a wider view of the damage caused during the conflict.
The report covers multiple countries and several types of military equipment.
It includes aircraft, buildings and other infrastructure.
The Washington Post’s satellite analysis also identified damage across numerous U.S. military locations.
That analysis found impacts involving aircraft, hangars, barracks, fuel facilities, radar equipment and communications systems.
These findings show why it is important to view the Prince Sultan damage as part of a wider regional campaign.
The base was one location within a much larger conflict.
What Satellite Imagery Can Tell Us
Satellite imagery has become an important source of information during the conflict.
Commercial satellites can collect images of military facilities even when reporters cannot enter the sites.
Analysts can compare images from different dates.
For example, an image taken before an attack can show aircraft parked on an apron.
A later image can show whether an aircraft remains in the same location or whether visible debris or burn marks have appeared.
This method has been used to examine Prince Sultan Air Base.
The Washington Post reported that satellite imagery helped identify damage to an E-3 Sentry and other equipment at the facility.
Al Jazeera also reported satellite evidence of damage at several areas of the base following an Iranian attack.
Still, satellite imagery is not perfect.
Cloud cover, image resolution and timing can affect what analysts can see.
Military facilities can also contain objects that are difficult to identify from above.
For those reasons, satellite imagery is usually strongest when combined with other evidence.
Questions About the Full Extent of the Damage
The latest prince sultan air base damage photos show significant damage to at least some assets at the facility.
But they do not provide a complete inventory of everything affected.
The base is a large military installation.
Damage can range from minor structural problems to destroyed aircraft and equipment.
Some damage may also not be visible in publicly released photographs.
The Pentagon has not publicly confirmed every detail shown in the newly released images.
That means individual claims should be treated carefully.
The available evidence does establish that the base suffered damage during the conflict.
It also establishes that an E-3 Sentry was destroyed there.
Beyond those points, the precise scale of damage requires continued verification.
New satellite images, official assessments or additional photographs could provide more information.
What the Images Mean for the Wider Conflict
The photographs are arriving at a time when the conflict has already produced significant military losses.
The Pentagon inspector general’s report has documented billions of dollars in equipment losses across the region.
Reporting on the report puts the equipment losses at about $3.7 billion during the period examined.
The losses involve multiple categories of equipment.
They also span several countries.
That makes it difficult to measure the impact of the conflict by looking at one base alone.
Prince Sultan remains important because of its role in U.S. operations and because the destruction of an E-3 Sentry represents the loss of a specialized aircraft.
The new images therefore add another piece to the broader record of the conflict.
They do not, by themselves, determine the military outcome.
They do provide visual evidence of what occurred at one important installation.
What We Know and What Remains Unclear
Several facts are now supported by multiple reports.
Prince Sultan Air Base suffered damage during Iranian attacks.
An E-3 Sentry aircraft at the base was destroyed.
Satellite imagery captured evidence of the destroyed aircraft.
Newly released photographs show the aircraft and other damage at U.S. military positions.
The broader conflict has caused damage to U.S. facilities across several Middle Eastern countries.
Other details remain less certain.
The full amount of damage at Prince Sultan has not been publicly established through one complete assessment.
The exact circumstances surrounding every photograph also need to be considered.
That is why the most reliable reporting separates confirmed evidence from estimates and claims.
As additional imagery becomes available, the public picture may become clearer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do the Prince Sultan Air Base damage photos show?
Recent photographs show damage to military equipment and facilities. One of the clearest images shows a heavily damaged E-3 Sentry aircraft.
Was an E-3 Sentry destroyed at Prince Sultan Air Base?
Yes. Satellite imagery and published photographs have documented the destruction of an E-3 Sentry at the Saudi base.
Where is Prince Sultan Air Base?
The base is in Saudi Arabia, south of Riyadh, and has been used by both Saudi and U.S. military forces.
When was the E-3 Sentry destroyed?
Reports and satellite imagery place the strike on March 27, 2026.
Are the newly released photos officially confirmed by the Pentagon?
The photographs were provided to CBS News by U.S. service members. CBS reported that the Pentagon did not respond to its request for comment on the images.
Does the imagery show the full damage at the base?
No. The publicly available photographs and satellite images show parts of the damage, but they do not provide a complete assessment of the entire installation.
Why are satellite images important?
They allow analysts to compare a military facility before and after an attack and identify visible changes that may not otherwise be accessible to journalists.
