- Iranian missile and drone attacks have caused widespread damage at multiple U.S. positions across the Middle East.
- The Defense Department's inspector general released a report revealing equipment losses worth up to $3.7 billion, including nearly 60 aircraft.
- New photos obtained by CBS News show the damage for the first time, sent by active service members on condition of anonymity.
- A deployed service member described the damage as major and not communicated to the American public, stating: "We're standing there with our eyes closed getting punched in the face."
- One photo taken at Prince Sultan Air Force Base in Saudi Arabia shows a direct hit on the back half of a Boeing E-3 Sentry aircraft.
- Other photos from the base show hollowed-out buildings and barracks next to unaffected cement "T-wall" structures, which proved ineffective against aerial assaults.
- Similar grim pictures were captured at Camp Buehring in Kuwait, a major staging area for U.S. Army ground troops and vehicles.
- In a first-of-its-kind mandatory report to Congress, the inspector general noted that U.S. Central Command reported at bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman and Jordan.
The Pentagon's inspector general has released a report highlighting significant damage to U.S. military installations in the Middle East due to Iranian missile and drone strikes. The report indicates equipment losses totaling up to $3.7 billion, including nearly 60 aircraft.12
Newly obtained photos by CBS News illustrate the extensive destruction at various bases, including Prince Sultan Air Force Base in Saudi Arabia, where a Boeing E-3 Sentry was severely damaged. One service member remarked, "This is major damage to our bases that hasn't been communicated to the American public," emphasizing the lack of transparency regarding the situation.345
Images from the base depict hollowed-out buildings and barracks, with some structures remaining intact, highlighting the inadequacy of previous fortifications against aerial assaults. Similar devastation was reported at Camp Buehring in Kuwait, a key staging area for U.S. Army operations.67
The report, a first-of-its-kind mandatory submission to Congress, also noted that U.S. Central Command has documented damage across multiple bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, and Jordan. The findings contradict previous claims by President Trump regarding the sufficiency of U.S. military resources, revealing critical shortfalls and production bottlenecks in the defense sector.8
“The report reveals equipment losses up to $3.7 billion, including nearly 60 aircraft, and marks a first-of-its-kind mandatory report to Congress. Photos obtained by CBS News from anonymous service members show direct hits on a Boeing E-3 Sentry at Prince Sultan Air Force Base and hollowed-out buildings at Camp Buehring.”
CBS News
