In a striking show of force and preparation, the United States Air Force has dispatched six of its remaining 16 E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft to Europe over the past two days, with two already heading onward to the Middle East and others expected to follow. The unusually large deployment—representing nearly 40 percent of the service’s entire E-3 fleet—comes amid a broader buildup of American airpower across Europe and the Gulf region, signaling that the final operational pieces for a potential air campaign against Iran may be falling into place.
The E-3 Sentry, better known as AWACS, is among the most recognizable aircraft in the U.S. arsenal. Based on the long-retired Boeing 707 airliner and distinguished by its distinctive rotating radar dome mounted atop the fuselage, the aircraft serves as a flying command post and airborne radar station. It is capable of tracking aircraft, cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and naval vessels across vast expanses of airspace and sea. In modern warfare—particularly in any confrontation involving Iran’s extensive missile and drone forces—such capabilities are indispensable.
As of yesterday, two E-3s from Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska arrived at RAF Mildenhall in the United Kingdom. Four more Sentries from Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma landed at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. Flight tracking data subsequently showed the pair at Mildenhall departing and heading toward the Middle East. Defense analysts widely expect the aircraft at Ramstein to eventually reposition to Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, a central hub for U.S. air operations in the region.
The scale of the deployment is remarkable. With just 16 E-3s left in inventory—a fleet roughly half the size it was only a few years ago—sending six overseas leaves the Air Force with limited remaining capacity for other global contingencies. More striking still is the fleet’s readiness rate. During Fiscal Year 2024, the average mission-capable rate for the E-3 hovered at just over 55 percent, according to official data. That means only about eight or nine aircraft are typically ready for operational tasking at any given time. Deploying six of them forward likely represents a far higher proportion of the truly usable fleet.
The deployment carries implications beyond the Middle East. In Alaska, E-3s play a critical role in homeland defense. Russian aircraft frequently probe U.S. airspace in the Arctic region, and AWACS aircraft stationed at Elmendorf routinely support fighter intercepts. Normally, at least one E-3 sits on alert in Alaska, ready to launch alongside F-22s or F-35s to monitor and manage potential incursions.
Recent tracking data suggests that only one Sentry may now remain at Elmendorf. That reduction raises questions about sustained coverage in the High North, a region of growing strategic importance as Arctic sea routes open and great-power competition intensifies.
Defense observers note that the forward deployment of AWACS aircraft is often one of the clearest signs that the United States is preparing for large-scale air operations. AWACS platforms are not typically surged without reason; they are essential to coordinating complex strike packages, managing tanker flows, deconflicting airspace, and defending against retaliatory threats.
The aircraft’s powerful radar system excels at “look-down” detection—spotting low-flying targets such as cruise missiles and drones against ground clutter. In any confrontation with Iran, these capabilities would be vital. Tehran has invested heavily in swarms of kamikaze drones, land-attack cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles, all of which could be employed in retaliation against U.S. bases, naval vessels, or allied infrastructure across the Gulf.
Yet the E-3 is far more than a radar truck. Each aircraft typically carries a flight crew of four and between 13 and 19 mission specialists who oversee battle management. The Sentry integrates passive sensors, advanced communications systems, and data links that connect it to ships, fighters, ground commanders, and higher headquarters. It effectively runs the air war—allocating fighters, directing intercepts, prioritizing threats, and relaying intelligence.
“The radar and computer subsystems on the E-3 Sentry can gather and present broad and detailed battlefield information,” the Air Force has said. That information includes both enemy and friendly aircraft positions, naval movements, and ground-force coordination data. In short, the E-3 serves as a flying nerve center.
The surge deployment also underscores the Air Force’s growing dilemma: the E-3 fleet is aging rapidly and shrinking. The last new Sentry was delivered in 1992, making the youngest aircraft more than three decades old. The airframes are derivatives of the Boeing 707, a commercial jetliner that disappeared from airline fleets decades ago.
Indeed, former Air Combat Command chief Gen. Mark Kelly once quipped that there is “exactly zero airlines on planet earth” still flying 707s with the Pratt & Whitney TF33 engines that power the E-3. The only exception, he noted at the time, was Iran’s Saha Airlines—a pointed irony. Maintaining these engines has become increasingly difficult as parts grow scarce and maintenance demands rise.
Between 2023 and 2024, the Air Force reduced the fleet from 31 aircraft to 16 in an effort to concentrate resources and improve readiness. Despite that downsizing, mission-capable rates remain modest, and maintenance burdens continue to grow.
The TF33 engine issue is emblematic. Designed in the 1950s and long out of production, the low-bypass turbofan requires specialized upkeep. Modern aircraft have shifted to more efficient, higher-bypass engines, leaving the E-3 reliant on legacy supply chains.
The Air Force recognized the need for replacement years ago and initiated plans in 2022 to acquire the Boeing E-7 Wedgetail, a modern airborne early warning aircraft already operated by Australia, the United Kingdom, and South Korea. The E-7, based on the Boeing 737 platform, features advanced radar technology and improved reliability.
However, the program quickly encountered turbulence. Cost growth and schedule delays mounted. In 2025, the Pentagon proposed canceling the Wedgetail purchase in favor of buying additional Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye aircraft—traditionally used by the U.S. Navy aboard aircraft carriers—as an interim solution. The longer-term vision was to shift much of the airborne target-tracking mission to space-based systems in the 2030s.
That proposal drew bipartisan skepticism. Critics questioned whether the E-2, which flies lower and slower and was designed for carrier operations, could effectively replace the E-3’s broad-area coverage for the Air Force. Others noted that space-based air moving target indicator systems remain years away from operational maturity.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska warned that the Air Force was “limping along” with the E-3 and risked creating a dangerous capability gap if the Wedgetail were terminated before replacements were fielded. Congress ultimately intervened, blocking further E-3 retirements and restoring funding for the E-7. Still, the program’s delay has extended uncertainty.
The immediate question raised by the E-3 surge is whether the United States can sustain global coverage if multiple crises erupt simultaneously. Beyond the Middle East and Alaska, the Indo-Pacific looms as a region of paramount concern.
In a hypothetical contingency involving China, the Air Force would face not only limited aircraft availability but also the “tyranny of distance.” The Pacific theater’s vast expanse requires long transit times, multiple tanker refuelings, and high sortie generation rates to maintain persistent coverage. With only 16 E-3s—and fewer mission-capable at any moment—the math becomes daunting.
By contrast, China’s People’s Liberation Army has invested heavily in its own airborne early warning fleet, fielding numerous KJ-series aircraft capable of operating close to home bases. Beijing views such platforms as force multipliers essential for modern joint operations.
The United States hopes to leverage distributed sensors, advanced networking, and eventually space-based tracking to mitigate reliance on traditional AWACS. Yet those systems are not fully fielded, and the E-3 remains the backbone of airborne battle management today.
Whether the current buildup culminates in military action remains uncertain. U.S. and Iranian officials have met twice in recent weeks to discuss Tehran’s nuclear program. Vice President J.D. Vance described the talks as mixed—agreeing to further discussions but highlighting unresolved red lines.
Meanwhile, reports citing unnamed advisers suggest that President Donald Trump is increasingly frustrated with the pace of negotiations. Iran, for its part, has warned that any new U.S. strikes would trigger severe retaliation.
Against that backdrop, the forward deployment of six E-3s stands as one of the clearest operational indicators that contingency plans are advancing. AWACS aircraft are not symbolic assets; they are enablers of sustained, complex air campaigns. Their presence signals that U.S. planners are preparing for scenarios that would require continuous command and control over contested airspace.
The decision to surge nearly 40 percent of the E-3 fleet overseas highlights both the aircraft’s enduring value and the fragility of the capability. The Sentry remains unmatched in its ability to orchestrate large-scale air operations. Yet its aging airframes, low readiness rates, and uncertain replacement timeline create strategic risk.
If operations against Iran unfold, the E-3s will likely operate around the clock—managing strike packages, defending bases against missile salvos, and coordinating coalition partners. Such high-tempo operations will further strain an already taxed fleet.
At the same time, the United States cannot ignore other theaters. The Arctic, the Pacific, and Europe all demand surveillance and battle management capacity. The concentration of six aircraft in one region inevitably leaves thinner margins elsewhere.
In that sense, the E-3 deployment is both a signal of imminent operational readiness and a reminder of long-term modernization challenges. The Air Force’s effort to transition from hospice care to a new generation of airborne early warning has proven more complex than anticipated.
For now, however, the venerable Sentry remains indispensable. As geopolitical tensions mount and the possibility of conflict with Iran looms, the spinning radar domes crossing the Atlantic underscore a simple truth: despite decades of technological change, control of the air still begins with knowing what is in it—and having the command nodes to manage the fight.
