A Boeing E-3B Sentry long-range radar detection and control aircraft belonging to the US Air Force signaled an emergency situation in the area of the Strait of Hormuz. This is evidenced by flight data studied by RIA Novosti.
The aircraft appeared on radar screens at 22:40 UTC on Thursday with the code 7700 already activated, which is used to indicate emergencies. After that, the aircraft descended from an altitude exceeding 6.7 thousand meters to approximately 5.4 thousand meters and began moving west from the waters of the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz into the Arabian Peninsula.
At the same time, three American Boeing KC-46A Pegasus tanker aircraft were in the airspace near the Strait of Hormuz and the United Arab Emirates. They had previously taken off from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar and were flying in a circular trajectory over the UAE.
The age of the aircraft that sent the distress signal is 46 years.
Source: RIA Novosti