Kuwait City — A major American airbase in Kuwait has been thrown into chaos after several US warplanes crashed within minutes of each other, sparking fires on the runway, mass evacuations and immediate fears of either a coordinated attack or a catastrophic systems failure.

Witnesses near the base describe a night sky suddenly streaked with flames as one jet attempted to land trailing fire, while another plunged toward the desert beyond the perimeter fence. Thick black smoke rose over the installation as sirens wailed and convoys of fire engines and ambulances raced to the scene.

US Central Command has confirmed “multiple aircraft losses and casualties” but is refusing to say how many jets were involved or what types. Early reports speak of at least one fighter, a refuelling aircraft and a drone going down during a window of intense regional operations against Iranian targets.

Privately, officials are weighing grim possibilities: a hostile cyber or electronic‑warfare attack on navigation systems, a previously unknown technical flaw spreading across an entire fleet, or even friendly‑fire from over‑stressed air defences misidentifying returning aircraft in crowded skies. Kuwaiti authorities have closed surrounding airspace and moved to secure nearby residential areas as debris and burning fuel fall outside the base.

Analysts warn that whatever the cause, the images of burning American warplanes in a key Gulf staging ground will send shockwaves through Washington and allied capitals — and could force a painful rethink of just how prepared the US really is for the high‑tempo air war it is now fighting.