Aging AWACS Fleet Highlights Readiness Gap Ahead of Iran Crisis
Amid tensions with Iran, the U.S. Air Force has deployed six of 16 E-3 Sentry AWACS to Europe and likely the Middle East, signaling heavy reliance on an aging, limited fleet and ongoing readiness gaps. The move comes as lawmakers debated replacing the E-3s with E-7 Wedgetails, a program stalled for years, raising concerns about coverage—especially in the Indo-Pacific—and prompting consideration of space-based sensing as a long-term substitute.