In the latest episode of the Daily Mail’s Photo Evidence, reporter Catherine Barnwell scrutinises new satellite images that reveal how America’s Department of War may not be telling the full truth about the scale of its losses during the Iran war.
Since the launch of Operation Epic Fury on February 28, the joint US-Israeli bombing campaign against Iran, the regime has retaliated by targeting American military assets across the Gulf with waves of missile and drone strikes.
As Barnwell explains, Iran’s war strategy has been anything but conventional. Rather than targeting fighter jets or bombers, the IRGC has systematically attempted to blind and cripple America’s command and control layer, launching attacks against radar and air defence systems.
It is these costly losses in strategic equipment, Barnwell argues, that the Department of War is not being fully transparent about. Her claim is borne out by looking at the latest EU Sentinel satellite images and cross referencing these with open source flight tracking data, ground photography and pictures issued by Iran’s state media.
Catherine Barnwell has scutinised new satellite images that reveal how America’s Department of War may not be telling the full truth about the scale of its losses during the Iran war
As Barnwell explains, Iran’s war strategy has been anything but conventional. Rather than targeting fighter jets, the IRGC has attempted to cripple America’s command and control layer
It is these costly losses in strategic equipment, Barnwell argues, that the Department of War is not being fully transparent about
This is significant. The loss of just one AWACS surveillance plane alone costs the American taxpayer $724 million.
The Department of War asked Planet Labs, the world’s largest commercial satellite imagery provider, to withhold all images of the conflict region, including the bases of ally nations, indefinitely. The company complied.
Barnwell contends that the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia provides an example of this alleged lack of transparency.
While the Department of War confirmed ten US service members were injured in a strike on the base, a spokesperson declined to comment over whether any strategic assets had been destroyed.
She explained: ‘The Prince Sultan is one of the main bases in the Middle East from which America is fighting its war with Iran.
‘The base is not home to combat aircraft. It is where the US keeps its logistics and support planes.
‘On March 27th, we know Iran managed to effectively destroy an AWACS aircraft during an attack on the base. Looking at before and after satellite images, you can see the black roto dome of the aircraft is completely gone and there’s a black scorch mark on the tarmac.
‘These images were published by Iran’s state media, so need to be treated with scepticism… however, ground photography from the day of the strike shows the tail number of the aircraft, 81-0005.
‘This matches an aircraft that was operating as part of the 552nd air control wing out of Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma. Flight tracking data traced it to Ramstein Air Base in Germany on February 19th, before it flew on to Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.’
Beyond the very probable loss of the AWACS, Barnwell shows how as many as seven KC-135 refuelling tankers may have been destroyed or damaged in the March 27 strike.
The loss of just one AWACS surveillance plane alone costs the American taxpayer $724 million
Looking at one air base on just one day of the Iran war, it appears probable that the US lost over a billion dollars worth of equipment
‘America is not being entirely honest with the damage being caused by the war’, Barnwell said
Images of the air base’s main apron, released by Iran’s state media, who claim three KC-135 tankers were destroyed and four more damaged in the strike, tally with independent EU satellite imagery.
Replacing just one KC-135 with its modern equivalent could cost the American taxpayer as much as $240 million.
‘In the EU image, you can clearly see a scorch mark on the ground which tallies with where the tankers were in the Iranian image’, Barnwell said.
‘However, in the European images, there does not seem to be any damage below the scorch mark where other tankers were parked. So, Iran’s claim of destroying three is unlikely to be true.’
Looking at one air base on just one day of the Iran war, it appears probable that the US lost over a billion dollars worth of equipment. The UK’s entire defence budget for 2026 was £62.2 billion.
‘America is not being entirely honest with the damage being caused by the war’, Barnwell said.
‘It has stopped US satellite companies from publishing imagery which shows us the damage that other sources and photographers on the ground are revealing.
‘Officials have given off the record briefings confirming that Prince Sultan Air Base was hit on March 27, but have said nothing about the destruction of the aircraft.’
Watch Barnwell analyse images from multiple other bases targeted by Iran, including strikes on allied bases in Kuwait and Jordan, by subscribing to the Daily Mail World YouTube channel.
