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Kelly Grieco@ka_grieco · Mar 28, 2026

Look at what Iran has been hitting since Feb. 28: radar systems, SATCOM terminals, tankers, and now an AWACS. That's…

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Summary

Iran has conducted a systematic asymmetric counter-air campaign since February 28, targeting radar systems, SATCOM terminals, tankers, and AWACS aircraft at U.S. bases across the Middle East. By attacking the logistics and command infrastructure that enables U.S. air operations—rather than engaging aircraft directly—Iran is exploiting vulnerabilities in aging American assets like the limited E-3 Sentry fleet and Cold War-era KC-135 tankers.

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  1. #1

    Look at what Iran has been hitting since Feb. 28: radar systems, SATCOM terminals, tankers, and now an AWACS. That's not random. It's a systematic attack on the infrastructure that makes U.S. air power function. Iran's running an asymmetric counter-air campaign. A 🧵.

  2. #2

    2/ Since Feb. 28, Iran has hit radar and SATCOM infrastructure at 7+ U.S. bases across Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, targeting the systems used to track incoming missiles and coordinate the entire air defense network. nytimes.com/2026/03/03/wor…

  3. #3

    3/ Yesterday, Iran hit Prince Sultan Air Base again, damaging an E-3 Sentry AWACS and multiple KC-135 tankers. Same base was hit March 13, when five KC-135s were damaged on the flight line.

  4. #4

    4/ These aren't targets of opportunity. Tankers and AWACS are the logistics and command layer of the entire air war.

  5. #5

    5/ The USAF only has 16 E-3s. Nearly 40% deployed to this theater. No replacement in production (E-7 A prototype in ~2028). Boeing delivered the last one in 1992. The KC-135 fleet is Cold War-era, already under extreme strain, with parts sourced from boneyards.

  6. #6

    6/ BL: Iran's going after the radars that detect threats, the tankers that keep jets flying, and the AWACS that direct the battle. That's a counter-air campaign. Adapted to what Iran can actually do. And the damage is real.