Iranian strikes have focused on the infrastructure that keeps U.S. airpower effective in a region where threats are persistent and costly.

Since late February, activists say the campaign has targeted radar sites, SATCOM terminals and mission critical aircraft across Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

The pattern shows a deliberate effort to undermine the backbone of U.S. air operations.

Two weeks before the March 27 attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, five KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft were damaged on the flight line.

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That incident followed other strikes that have complicated American air operations in the theater.

The targets are not random. The pattern suggests a strategic choice to degrade the systems that enable air power, a view echoed by analysts watching the campaign unfold.

The damage has drawn sharper attention to three critical categories. Kelly Grieco, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center, said the strikes target “three distinct functional categories, including radar and communications infrastructure, aerial refueling tankers and now the AWACS.”

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“Each is a critical enabler of U.S. air operations,” Grieco told Defense News. “That’s not random. That’s a target set derived from an understanding of how U.S. airpower functions and where it is most exposed. The pattern suggests deliberate doctrine, or something close enough to it, not opportunism.”

Observers say the approach makes tactical sense. Joe Costa, director of the Atlantic Council’s Forward Defense program and former deputy assistant secretary of defense for plans and posture, noted that “it’s much easier to hit stationary infrastructure on the ground than planes flying in the air.”

He warned of the broader cost, emphasizing that the real toll comes from the long term impact on readiness as assets are diverted or lost. “The more assets we use and lose now, the less will be available later until maintenance cycles, repairs, and new purchases are complete.”

The campaign has also extended to missile defense infrastructure. The fighting has included strikes on radar facilities and SATCOM links that U.S. forces rely on to detect threats and coordinate responses. The campaign’s reach shows a clear effort to degrade the speed and accuracy with which commanders can respond to threats in the region.

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The damage to airpower comes at a time when the E-3 Sentry fleet is already under strain. The fleet has dwindled to 16 aircraft, the last of which were delivered in 1992, and mission readiness has remained a challenge.

Prior to the latest incidents, the theater relied on a handful of E-3s for continuous battle management coverage. Grieco explained that the loss of even a single aircraft can create gaps that degrade the theater’s air picture and complicate coordination among multiple aircraft.

“Five aircraft means accepting either a single continuous orbit or periodic gaps when a second cannot be regularly sustained. In those gaps, the air picture degrades, air battle management is less effective, and the theater’s ability to coordinate a complex, multi-aircraft operation becomes significantly more constrained,” she said.

As the conflict wears on, attention has shifted to what comes next. Grieco acknowledged that replacing the airborne capability will take time. The Pentagon has faced difficult tradeoffs as it weighs modernization plans against current demands.

The E-7 Wedgetail program has been a focal point of debate, with proposals to shift away from aging platforms facing budget and survivability concerns. The program’s future has become a battleground for the broader question of how to balance immediate needs with long term capability.

The tanker fleet is not spared from the strain. The March strikes damaged several KC-135s, and components have been cannibalized from older aircraft to keep others in service. Costa noted that the broader implications extend beyond the current confrontation.

He warned that this ongoing use and potential reallocation of high demand assets, including air defense systems, will affect readiness for other U.S. global priorities. “The continued use and possible reallocation of high-demand, low-density assets like air defense systems will impact readiness for other U.S. global priorities,” Costa said.

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The larger strategic takeaway, according to defense analysts and defense officials alike, is that the conflict should serve as a wake up call for the entire force. The threat environment demands greater resilience and redundancy in the face of ongoing attacks on radar, SATCOM and air refueling capabilities.

“Airbase vulnerability has been an issue for decades, and the drumbeat of independent analysis on this issue could not be louder,” Sheers said. He warned that without decisive action, the United States risks hollowing out its readiness in critical theaters and beyond. If the War Secretary and the administration fail to heed these warnings, the path ahead could place the nation at a strategic disadvantage in any future high stakes contest.

As the campaign continues, the emphasis remains on preserving the U.S. ability to detect, deter and respond. The drumbeat of attacks against key nodes in the airpower network underscores a need for robust, long term solutions to protect the force.

At the same time, President Trump continues to champion a strong and modernized military, while War Secretary Pete Hegseth calls for rapid, practical measures to sustain and strengthen the nation’s airpower. The result is a push toward reinforcing readiness and ensuring the United States can operate with confidence in any future confrontation.

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