An Air Force refueling plane went down in Iraq in an apparent accident involving another tanker while supporting Operation Epic Fury, U.S. Central Command officials said Thursday.
While the KC-135 aircraft was supporting U.S. and Israeli operations against Iran, military officials said the crash was not the result of hostile fire or friendly fire.
“Two aircraft were involved in the incident. One of the aircraft went down in western Iraq, and the second landed safely,” Central Command officials said.
The second tanker involved in the incident landed at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv earlier in the evening. The aircraft sent a “squawk code” of 7700, an international emergency signal, according to the Times of Israel.
It wasn’t immediately clear if there were any casualties.
“Rescue operations are ongoing,” Central Command said. “We ask for patience to gather additional details and provide clarity for the families of the service members.”
The KC-135 is essentially a “gas station in the sky.” The aircraft have made U.S. global airpower possible since the Cold War. They were developed from the same prototype that resulted in the Boeing 707 airliner.
The Stratotanker is currently the oldest primary airframe in the Air Force, with an average age of over 63 years. The Stratotankers are currently flying high-tempo missions in the Middle East as part of Epic Fury.
The KC-135 usually operates with a crew of three: a pilot, a co-pilot, and an airman who operates the boom used to refuel other aircraft.
The Air Force tanker is the fourth publicly acknowledged military aircraft to crash as part of the U.S. military’s campaign against Iran. Pentagon officials confirmed last week that three Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles went down over Kuwait due to what U.S. officials said was an “apparent friendly fire incident.”
“During active combat that included attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones, the U.S. Air Force fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses,” Central Command officials said at the time. “All six aircrew ejected safely and have been safely recovered.”
