A Boeing E-3 Sentry airborne early warning and control aircraft destroyed by Iranian forces is valued at more than $500 million — and replacing it will be anything but straightforward, according to Military Watch Magazine.

Reports had earlier indicated that units of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps struck the U. S. Prince Sultan airbase in Saudi Arabia. The attack hit an American Air Force aircraft on the ground — the E-3 Sentry, widely known as a «flying radar» due to its advanced surveillance and command capabilities. The missile reportedly struck the AN/APY-2 circular radar system, the core of the aircraft’s detection capabilities.

The damage was catastrophic. Following the strike, the aircraft sustained critical structural failure and effectively split into two parts. Analysts assess that the extent of the destruction rules out any possibility of repair.

Replacing the E-3 presents a serious challenge. As the publication notes, funding for the newer E-7 Wedgetail airborne early warning systems was only approved in early March, while the production queue for these aircraft remains long.

The E-3 Sentry ranks among the most expensive assets in the U. S. Air Force fleet, with a price tag of around half a billion dollars.

The strike comes amid continued Iranian attacks on U.S. military facilities across the Middle East, as well as on Israeli territory, in response to an operation launched by U.S. and Israeli forces on February 28.