US Central Command (CENTCOM), responsible for US military operations in the Middle East, announced on 12/3 that a KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft crashed in friendly airspace in western Iraq. The aircraft was supporting an airstrike campaign against Iran.

CENTCOM has not yet released information on US personnel casualties or injuries, stating that rescue efforts are underway. The command affirmed the crash was not due to hostile or friendly fire.

Another aircraft involved in the incident landed safely. A US official told CNN that this second aircraft was also a KC-135 tanker. The Times of Israel reported an aircraft landed at Ben Gurion Airport after declaring an in-flight emergency, with aviation tracking data indicating it was a KC-135RT variant.

US KC-135 aircraft in Alaska on 4/3. *Photo: USAF*

This crash appears to be the first involving a US KC-135 during combat operations since 5/2013. That previous incident, in northern Kyrgyzstan, occurred while supporting operations in Afghanistan and resulted in the deaths of all three crew members.

The Middle East conflict began on 28/2, following attacks on Iran by the US and Israel. Tehran responded with strikes on military targets and energy infrastructure across several regional nations. This fighting has resulted in approximately 2,000 fatalities, mainly in Iran, and impacted the global economy.

On 2/3, the US military lost three F-15E heavy fighters in Kuwait due to friendly fire from local forces. Additionally, at least 11 MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles have been shot down over Iran.

The KC-135 series, in service since 1957, shares its prototype design with the Boeing 707 passenger jet. Each aircraft has a crew of three to four, a maximum speed of 933 km/h, and a range of 2,100 km while carrying 68 metric tons of fuel for transfer. A total of 803 KC-135 units were manufactured between 1955 and 1965. As of the end of 2024, the US military maintained an inventory of 376 KC-135 aircraft.

Pham Giang (According to CNN, War Zone, Times of Israel)