Air Operations Room.. Does the deployment of "E-3" pave the way for a US strike on Iran?

SadaNews - Recent tracking of flight data has revealed that the US Air Force has sent 6 out of 16 E-3 Sentry AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) aircraft to bases in Europe and the Middle East.

This movement coincides with the ongoing massive buildup of US air power in preparation for potential strikes on Iran, with an analysis of navigational data by Al Jazeera recording at least 55 flights from the United States to Europe and Britain, while 6 flights departed from Europe towards the Middle East, including refueling aircraft which constitute the majority of these flights.

The War Zone, a military affairs website, reports that the deployment of nearly 40% of all E-3 aircraft confirms the critical importance of these planes and represents one of the clearest indicators and strongest signals that the components for a major aerial campaign against Iran are increasingly taking shape and completing their arrangement.

Air Operations Room

The E-3 Sentry is known as an airborne radar station, featuring a large rotating radar housed within a dome mounted above the rear of its fuselage, with a range exceeding 375.5 kilometers (250 miles), allowing the aircraft to track hostile and friendly aerial and maritime movements over a wide area of the battlefield.

Its radar capabilities provide special advantages for detecting and tracking low-flying threats, including drones and cruise missiles, which are offensive weapons that Iran has invested heavily in.

However, the Sentry is more than just a radar; it possesses additional passive sensors and an advanced communications suite, placing it in a key role as a command and control hub during operations.

The aircraft crews manage air battle operations and function as a control and directing element that will play a crucial role in any future offensive operations against Iran, as well as for defense against any retaliation.

According to data published via the official US Air Force website, the aircraft can perform missions lasting 8 continuous hours without needing to refuel, with the ability to extend its range and time in the air through in-flight refueling.

The aircraft accommodates a flight crew of 4, in addition to a mission crew consisting of between 13 and 19 experts and specialists.

Preempting Attack.. Venezuela as a Model

This link between aircraft deployment and the approach of military operations is not new; 15 days prior to the US attack on Venezuela, amidst rising US military and economic pressure on Nicolas Maduro's regime, accounts specializing in open-source intelligence detected activity from an airborne early warning and control aircraft, the E-3 Sentry, flying near the Venezuelan coast on Flight Radar 24.

Reports indicated that this aircraft had not typically appeared on flight tracking programs, although it had played a prominent role in anti-drug operations for years in the Caribbean region.

However, its recent public appearance was no accident, but rather a component of the US military's execution of easily traceable flights near Venezuelan airspace, serving as a critical element of the pressure campaign and a preemptive signal of the attack; a scenario that appears to be repeating today in the skies of the Middle East.

Zero Hour and Trump’s Options

US President Donald Trump announced yesterday, Friday, that he is considering a limited military strike against Iran, aiming to pressure it into reaching an agreement concerning its nuclear program. In response to journalists' questions about the likelihood of resorting to this option, Trump stated: "I think I can say that I am considering it."

This statement coincided with reports from Reuters citing US officials who confirmed that "planning for military action against Tehran has reached an advanced stage."

Officials explained that "the options on the table include targeting specific individuals and even seeking to change the entire regime in Tehran," noting that existing information reflects "detailed and ambitious plans waiting for the green light from Trump."

In the same context, Axios reported that an advisor to the US president confirmed that Trump has not yet made a decision to strike, but he is keeping all his options fully open and may issue his order at any moment.

The Financial Times reported that Washington has deployed a force sufficient to conduct an aerial campaign extending weeks against Iran, in a move compared by former officials to the preparations that preceded the invasion of Iraq in 2003.