US KC-135 Stratotanker crashes in Iraq: Watch midair refuelling in action, how the process works

Yet another US aircraft has been lost in Iraq amid the constantly evolving situation in the Middle East, following the coordinated American-Israeli strikes on Iran that started at the end of February.

This time, a US KC-135 refuelling aircraft, carrying at least five personnel, went down in western Iraq on Thursday. The incident also involved another aircraft but was not the result of hostile or friendly fire, according to the US Central Command.




"One of the aircraft went down in western Iraq, and the second landed safely. This was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire," the US Central Command, which oversees American forces in the region, said in a statement.



The United States, the world’s largest economy, maintains a significant military presence in the region and has surged a large number of aircraft into the Middle East to participate in ongoing operations against Iran.

KC-135 Stratotanker: Aerial refuelling workhorse of the US air force

Midair Refuelling: How it works

The KC-135 primarily uses a flying boom to transfer fuel. A boom operator, positioned at the rear of the aircraft, controls the boom during in-flight refuelling. For aircraft equipped with probes, a shuttlecock-shaped drogue trailing behind the boom allows fuel transfer.



Some KC-135s feature a multipoint refuelling system with special pods on the wingtips, enabling the tanker to refuel two aircraft simultaneously.

Mission

The KC-135 Stratotanker has been the backbone of the United States air force’s aerial refuelling capability for over 60 years. It extends the air force’s global reach and supports missions for the air force, navy, marine corps, and allied nations.

In addition to refuelling, the KC-135 can transport litter and ambulatory patients on patient support pallets during aeromedical evacuations.

Features

Powered by four turbofan engines mounted under 35-degree swept wings, the KC-135 can take off at gross weights of up to 322,500 pounds. Its cargo deck above the refuelling system can accommodate a mix of passengers and cargo, carrying up to 83,000 pounds depending on fuel storage configuration.

This marks the fourth US aircraft lost since the US and Israel began strikes against Iran on 28 February. Earlier this month, three US Air Force fighter jets were accidentally shot down in a “friendly fire” incident by Kuwaiti air defenses, though all crew members ejected safely.

So far, seven US troops have been killed in the conflict, and Reuters reported on Tuesday that up to 150 US personnel have been wounded. Meanwhile, Iran’s death toll has surpassed 1,300, according to the country’s UN ambassador.