An "irreplaceable" US radar jet has been completely destroyed after an Iranian strike on a Saudi air base.
Pictures posted on Facebook show an E-3 Sentry aircraft that has been split into two at the Prince Sultan air base in Saudi Arabia.
The US plane carried technology that helped track drones, missiles and planes from long distances, making it critical asset in the ongoing Iranian conflict.
Air Force Colonel John Venable said that the destructions of the plane is a "huge deal" as there are a limited number of E-3s in America's arsenal and they are irreplaceable, reports the Wall Street Journal.
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The US air force only has 16 E-3 Sentry planes remaining as their production ceased in 1992.
With no replacements available, the closest replacement, the E-7 Wedgetail is projected to cost $700million.
At least 12 American military personnel have been injured in the attack - five of which are seriously injured, reports PBS.
The attack, which happened on Friday, involved at least one missile and several drones, also destroyed a several refueling planes.
The destroyed E-3 Sentry means the US military only has 13 of the jets left in their fleet
|UGC / AFP
Damage to the plane appears to predominantly to the back, where the rotating radar dome sits and other critical surveillance technology.
The radar detects and tracks targets at long distances to provide an early warning of possible threats during combat.
Tracking data suggests the destroyed aircraft was tail number 81-0005, an E-3G Sentry operated by the 552nd Air Control Wing, based at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma.
The E-3 fleet forms a critical part of American air power, offering real-time surveillance and command capabilities across wide spaces and with already limited numbers in service, the loss of the aircraft deals a significant blow to the US Air Force's operational capacity.
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The destruction to the critical US aircraft comes after Iran launched a tirade of missiles and drones on the airbase in Saudi Arabia
|UGC / AFP
The destroyed plane comes after Iran launched a coordinated strike on Prince Sultan Air Base, deploying six ballistic missiles and 29 drones in an assault that has sharply raised tensions across the region.
The Boeing E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (Awacs) is modelled on a Boeing 707 airliner.
The plane gives "information for commanders of air operations to gain and maintain control of the air battle", according to the United States Air Force (USAF)
First entering service in 1977, the model is expected to remain in operation with the USAF until 2035.
Since the conflict began on February 28, 300 US military personnel have been injured, with 13 killed in action.
It is estimated more than 4,500 people have lost their lives since the war began.
Despite the casualty numbers growing and military assets being compromised daily, combat doesn't appear to be slowing down, with reports of missile attacks striking or being intercepted in Israel, Lebanon and Kuwait so far on Monday.
President Donald Trump said on Sunday evening he was considering a seizure of Iran's Kharg Island, the country's main oil export hub.
He told the Financial Times: ""To be honest with you, my favourite thing is to take the oil in Iran but some stupid people back in the US say: ‘Why are you doing that?’ But they’re stupid people.
"Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t.
"We have a lot of options.
"It would also mean we had to be there in Kharg Island for a while."