Or - hear me out here - they take over the downed AWACS but leave it in the sea. You can't use surface to air missiles on a plane below sea level. It's functionally indestructible, and I see no conceivable faults in my plan.
Yes! You've got the spirit! This other guy with the audacity to think I hadn't already considered that. And before anyone says depth charges, those only work on submarines. Surface to surface missiles? Good luck - the plane is under the surface.