Patriot missile interception failed, the Sultan bin Abdulaziz Air Base in Saudi Arabia was engulfed in flames, and the F-35 logistics hub was completely destroyed!

From the late night of March 14 to the early morning of March 15, the 51st military operation of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps "True Commitment-4" directly targeted the Sultan bin Abdulaziz Air Base in Al-Qa'qaa, Saudi Arabia. The core objective of this strike was the U.S. F-35 and early warning aircraft logistics hub, which is the most critical in the Middle East.

The Sultan bin Abdulaziz Air Base is located in Al-Qa'qaa, southeast of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It was built as early as 1951. However, it became famous mainly during the Gulf War in 1990, when the U.S. invested heavily in building infrastructure here. From then on, it became the "heart" of the U.S. forces in the Gulf region.

By 2026, the base's status had significantly risen. According to the latest satellite images and open-source intelligence, the U.S. has moved a large number of elite assets to the Sultan bin Abdulaziz Base all at once.

Although the base is within range, it has the most complete facilities and the strongest defense system. Therefore, it has gathered air power worth billions of dollars: at least 50 F-16 fighter jets, and two squadrons of F-35A stealth fighters, about 20 in total. More importantly, it is also the U.S. "air refueling station" and "eyes."

Data shows that more than 20 KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft are stationed at the base, as well as as many as 13 E-3G "AWACS" early warning aircraft and several E-11A battlefield communication command aircraft.

In short, for U.S. aircraft in the entire Middle East to fly far and see clearly, they all rely on this base for support and guidance. It is not just an airport, but the largest logistics maintenance center and mission planning hub for U.S. F-35 aircraft in the Middle East. Correspondingly, the U.S. has deployed a large number of Patriot and THAAD interceptors to protect this place.

Why do we say the U.S. is in big trouble this time?

First, without the support of KC-135, the F-35 and F-16 would have a greatly reduced combat radius, and would be unable to reach deep targets in Iran. Now that the refueling aircraft cluster has been severely damaged, it means the U.S. aircraft's legs have been cut off. Wanting to attack the depths of Iran? It's a case of having the will but lacking the strength.

Second, the loss of situational awareness capability. The E-3 early warning aircraft is the air command tower, capable of monitoring air situations hundreds of kilometers away. With 13 early warning aircraft concentrated here, once they are damaged, a huge gap will appear in the air surveillance network of the entire theater. When Iranian drones and missiles strike again, the U.S. reaction time will be extremely compressed.

Third, the chain reaction caused by the breakdown of the logistics chain. The operational rate of the F-35 is already limited by logistics support. Now that the hub has been destroyed, parts cannot be supplied, and maintenance equipment is damaged, the surviving aircraft can only be grounded.

Therefore, Dao Ge believes that countries in the Gulf region may reassess their security cooperation model with the United States, even seeking more strategic autonomy. After all, multiple countries' bases have been bombed by missiles, and the performance of the THAAD and Patriot systems has not been as good as advertised.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1859692213229579/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.