- A KC-135 refueling plane “went down” in Iraq, the US army introduced Friday night.
- A second unidentified plane was concerned however landed safely.
- The standing of the refueling plane’s crew is unknown.
A US army KC-135 refueling plane concerned in Operation Epic Fury has crashed in Iraq, US Central Command mentioned in an announcement on Friday night.
“Central Command is conscious of the lack of a US KC-135 refueling plane,” the command, which oversees US army operations within the Center East, mentioned, including that the incident concerned two plane working in pleasant airspace in help of Epic Fury.
One plane “went down” in western Iraq, whereas a second unidentified plane landed safely. The plane loss “was not as a consequence of hostile hearth or pleasant hearth,” CENTCOM mentioned.
This marks the fourth American plane loss for the reason that begin of Operation Epic Fury, the Pentagon’s identify for US operations towards Iran, practically two weeks in the past. Simply days into the conflict, CENTCOM introduced that three American F-15E Strike Eagles had been downed by pleasant hearth over Kuwait. The plane had been misplaced, however all six aircrew members had been in a position to eject safely.
The KC-135 Stratotanker is an Air Pressure asset that helps the broader joint drive by refueling different plane — together with fighter jets, bombers, and cargo plane — in notoriously complicated midair refueling operations. It is primarily a flying fuel station that executes gas transfers at excessive velocity with plane in shut proximity.
The KC-135 sometimes carries a three-person crew — a pilot, co-pilot, and growth operator. The standing of the crew shouldn’t be recognized at the moment. CENTCOM mentioned rescue operations are ongoing.
