An American KC-135 aerial refueling tanker crashed in western Iraq while a second aircraft involved in the same incident landed safely, the U.S. military said Thursday. “One of the aircraft went down in western Iraq, and the second landed safely. This was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire,” U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees American forces in the Middle East, said in a statement.
CENTCOM did not immediately provide further details about the cause of the crash or whether there were any casualties. The KC-135 loss is the fourth U.S. military aircraft reported lost since the start of the current war in the Middle East, following three F-15E fighters that were mistakenly shot down over Kuwait earlier in the conflict.
Early in the war — which the report says began on February 28 — Kuwaiti forces accidentally downed three U.S. F-15E jets; all six crew members ejected and survived, CENTCOM said. That friendly-fire incident occurred amid combat that CENTCOM described at the time as including “attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones.”
KC-135 Stratotankers have been in service for more than 60 years and are a key aerial-refueling platform for U.S. air operations. According to a U.S. Air Force factsheet cited in the report, a KC-135 typically flies with a crew of three — a pilot, a copilot and a boom operator who connects the tanker to receiving aircraft — though some missions require a navigator. The airframe can carry up to 37 passengers.
Aerial refueling tankers extend the range and endurance of combat and support aircraft, so the loss of a KC-135 can affect operational flexibility and sortie tempo in an active theater. CENTCOM’s brief statement left questions about cause, casualties and the exact circumstances of the crash unanswered pending further information.
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Original Source: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/us-refueling-aircraft-kc-135-crashes-in-iraq-amid-iran-war-11208162#publisher=newsstand
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Publish Date: 2026-03-13 03:54:00
