the United States KC-135R/T Fleet Update
United States - United States Air Force
| Date | March 12, 2026 |
| Country | United States |
| Force | United States Air Force |
| Conflict | 2026 Iran Conflict |
| Location |
Western Iraq
32.743411, 39.011447 |
| Aircraft | KC-135R/T (KC-135 Stratotanker) |
| Change | -1 active |
Description
A USAF KC-135R Stratotanker crashed in western Iraq near Turaibil on the Iraqi-Jordanian border during an Operation Epic Fury refueling sortie. CENTCOM confirmed that two KC-135s were involved in the incident, which was not caused by hostile or friendly fire, indicating a mid-air collision. The second tanker, serial 63-8017 of the 314th Air Refueling Squadron, made an emergency landing at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel with severe damage to its vertical stabilizer. Six crew members were aboard the crashed aircraft, with their status unknown at time of reporting. This was the first KC-135 loss in combat operations since 2013.
Source: centcom.mil
