The Pentagon confirmed earlier this week that an Iranian ballistic missile that struck Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on June 23, caused damage to U.S. equipment and structures, including a $15 million communications dome.
The confirmation came after the Associated Press published satellite images showing damage to a geodesic dome that housed a Modernization Enterprise Terminal (MET)—a secure communications hub installed in 2016.
The structure, known as a radome, was intact just hours before the attack but no longer appears in images taken afterward.
According to satellite imagery obtained by the Associated Press, a geodesic radome used for secure military communication by the U.S. Air Force was destroyed or severely damaged in last month’s ballistic missile attack by Iran against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
Imagery from… pic.twitter.com/9nXGSjFEo8
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In a statement to Task & Purpose, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the missile “did minimal damage to equipment and structures on the base.”
Despite the damage, Parnell said “Al Udeid Air Base remains fully operational and capable of conducting its mission, alongside our Qatari partners.”
The Iranian missile strike on the U.S. base in Qatar came in response to American attacks on Iranian nuclear sites on June 21. During the operation, B-2 bombers dropped 14 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators on facilities in Fordow and Natanz, while submarine-launched Tomahawk missiles targeted sites in Isfahan.
Initial U.S. assessments leaked to the press suggested there was no significant damage to the targeted sites, though this has since been disputed by U.S. authorities, including the CIA. Defense officials later said the strikes delayed Iran’s nuclear program by one to two years.
