A KC-135 Stratotanker crashed Thursday near Turaibil on Iraq's western border with Jordan while flying in support of Operation Epic Fury, U.S. Central Command confirmed. The aircraft, one of two KC-135s involved in the same incident, went down in what the command called "friendly airspace"; the second tanker landed safely.
At least five crew members were aboard the downed tanker, according to a U.S. official who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Rescue teams launched a Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel mission, racing to reach the site before hostile forces can recover personnel or sensitive debris. U.S. Central Command said Thursday that the status of the crew "remains unknown" and asked for "continued patience" as teams work to "provide clarity for the families of service members."
Centcom flatly ruled out hostile fire or friendly fire, yet the Islamic Resistance in Iraq issued a statement claiming its fighters "shot down a U.S. Army KC-135 aircraft in western Iraq with the appropriate weapon." The group, an Iran-aligned militia, offered no evidence. U.S. officials have not responded to the claim beyond repeating that the crash "was not due to hostile fire."
The tanker becomes the fourth publicly acknowledged U.S. aircraft lost since Washington and Israel began strikes against Iran on 28 February. On 1 March, three F-15E Strike Eagles were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses; all six crew ejected safely. Thursday's crash raises the tally to four aircraft destroyed in two weeks of operations.
Seven American troops have died in the Iran war, six of them Army Reserve logistics soldiers killed by an Iranian drone strike on a Kuwaiti port and one airman wounded in the 1 March attack on Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia. Roughly 140 U.S. service members have been wounded, eight severely, the Pentagon reported this week. Iran's UN ambassador said that more than 1,300 Iranians have died since the conflict began.
The KC-135, a 60-year-old design based on the Boeing 707, normally flies with a three-person crew; the presence of at least five aboard suggests extra personnel were monitoring refueling operations or electronic systems. The Air Force inventory listed 376 KC-135s last year—151 on active duty, 163 in the Air National Guard, and 62 in the Reserve—many operating well beyond their original service life after repeated retrofits.
TRAP teams will attempt to secure the wreckage, recover or account for the crew, and destroy any classified equipment still intact.
A KC-135 Stratotanker crashed Thursday near Turaibil on Iraq’s western border with Jordan while flying in support of Operation Epic Fury, U.S. Central Command confirmed. The aircraft, one of two KC-135s involved in the same incident, went down in what the command called “friendly airspace”; the second tanker landed safely. FlightRadar24 data show a KC-135 declaring an emergency before landing in Tel Aviv the same evening, though officials have not linked that event to the crash.
At least five crew members were aboard the downed tanker, according to a U.S. official who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Rescue teams launched a Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel mission, racing to reach the site before hostile forces can recover personnel or sensitive debris. Central Command spokespersons said Friday that the status of the crew “remains unknown” and asked for “continued patience” as teams work to “provide clarity for the families of service members.”
Centcom flatly ruled out hostile fire or friendly fire, yet the Islamic Resistance in Iraq issued a statement claiming its fighters “shot down a U.S. Army KC-135 aircraft in western Iraq with the appropriate weapon.” The group, an Iran-aligned militia, offered no evidence. U.S. officials have not responded to the claim beyond repeating that the crash “was not due to hostile fire.”
The tanker becomes the fourth publicly acknowledged U.S. aircraft lost since Washington and Israel began strikes against Iran on 28 February. On 1 March, three F-15E Strike Eagles were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses; all six crew ejected safely. Thursday’s crash raises the tally to four aircraft destroyed in two weeks of operations.
Seven American troops have died in the Iran war, six of them Army Reserve logistics soldiers killed by an Iranian drone strike on a Kuwaiti port and one airman wounded in the 1 March attack on Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia. Roughly 140 U.S. service members have been wounded, eight severely, the Pentagon reported this week. Iranian Ambassador to the UN Amir Saeid Iravani told reporters Friday that more than 1,300 Iranians have died since the conflict began.
The KC-135, a 60-year-old design based on the Boeing 707, normally flies with a three-person crew; the presence of at least five aboard suggests extra personnel were monitoring refueling operations or electronic systems. The Air Force inventory listed 376 KC-135s last year—151 on active duty, 163 in the Air National Guard, and 62 in the Reserve—many operating well beyond their original service life after repeated retrofits.
TRAP teams will attempt to secure the wreckage, recover or account for the crew, and destroy any classified equipment still intact. If the militia’s claim proves true and the aircraft was shot down, U.S. planners may reroute tanker tracks farther from militia missile belts, potentially lengthening refueling sorties and delaying strike packages over Iran. Families of the five missing airmen await the next update from Dover Air Force Base, where previous war dead have been returned under military honors.
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