A USAF KC-135 refuelling jet has crashed in Iraq after an “incident” with a second aircraft during Operation Epic Fury, U.S. Central Command has said.
“Rescue efforts are ongoing” after a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker was lost in an incident during Operation Epic Fury. The tanker, which uses a probe or drogue to transfer aviation fuel to other military aircraft to increase their flight time beyond what fuel they can carry aboard, was “involved” in an unspecific second aircraft in the “incident”, CENTCOM said.
The venerable tanker was a “loss” and “went down in Western Iraq” while the second aircraft was able to land safely, they said.
The loss “was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire”, CENTOM said in their statement. It is not clear whether there were any injuries sustained in the loss of the tanker, with CENTOM stating a rescue effort was underway and they were working to “gather additional details and provide clarity for the families of service members.”
U.S. forces have sustained a certain level of attrition of equipment commensurate with the extremely high tempo of operations in the Middle East, as America and Israel strike Iran to degrade its nuclear and missile capabilities. In addition, there have been some incidents of friendly fire, including the loss of three fighter jets over Kuwait in the early days of the conflict.
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