A US military KC-135 refueling aircraft involved in Operation Epic Fury has crashed in Iraq, US Central Command said in a statement on Friday evening.
“Central Command is aware of the loss of a US KC-135 refueling aircraft,” the command, which oversees US military operations in the Middle East, said, adding that the incident involved two aircraft operating in friendly airspace in support of Epic Fury.
One aircraft “went down” in western Iraq, while a second unidentified aircraft landed safely. The aircraft loss “was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire,” CENTCOM said.
This marks the fourth American aircraft loss since the start of Operation Epic Fury, the Pentagon’s name for US operations against Iran, nearly two weeks ago. Just days into the war, CENTCOM announced that three American F-15E Strike Eagles were downed by friendly fire over Kuwait. The aircraft were lost, but all six aircrew members were able to eject safely.
The KC-135 Stratotanker is an Air Force asset that supports the broader joint force by refueling other aircraft — including fighter jets, bombers, and cargo aircraft — in notoriously complex midair refueling operations. It’s essentially a flying gas station that executes fuel transfers at high speed with aircraft in close proximity.
The KC-135 typically carries a three-person crew — a pilot, co-pilot, and boom operator. The status of the crew is not known at this time. CENTCOM said rescue operations are ongoing.
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