Four US service members are dead, and two remain unaccounted for after a refuelling aircraft crashed in western Iraq on Thursday afternoon, the US military has confirmed.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the aircraft went down at approximately 2:00 p.m. ET on 12 March. Six crew members were on board. Rescue operations are still underway for the two missing personnel, according to a CENTCOM statement issued early on Friday.
The crash occurred during Operation Epic Fury, the Pentagon's name for the ongoing US-Israeli military campaign against Iran that began on 28 February. CENTCOM stressed that the loss of the aircraft was 'not due to hostile fire or friendly fire.'
The identities of those killed are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin have been notified, in line with Department of Defence policy.
Second KC-135 Tanker Involved in Mid-Air Incident
CENTCOM confirmed that two aircraft were involved. The second, which officials later identified as another KC-135, landed safely. Flight tracking data showed a KC-135 declared an in-flight emergency before landing in Tel Aviv, as Fox News and CBS News reported.
Images circulating on social media appeared to show that one of the KC-135s was missing a large section of its vertical stabiliser, though the US military has not independently verified those photographs. News reports say that the aircraft came down near Turaibil, a location along the Iraqi-Jordanian border, citing an Iraqi intelligence source.
While Iraq's Islamic Resistance claimed it shot the plane down, CENTCOM has repeatedly stated that the crash was not caused by hostile or friendly fire. Reports had described the incident as an apparent mid-air accident between the two KC-135s. Unlike fighter jets, the Stratotanker does not carry ejection seats.
KC-135 Crash Adds to Growing Operation Epic Fury Toll
The loss marks the fourth US military aircraft to go down since strikes against Iran began. Three F-15E Strike Eagles were shot down in a separate friendly fire incident involving Kuwait earlier this month, though all six crew members in those jets ejected safely.
Prior to Thursday's crash, seven US service members had been killed in action during Operation Epic Fury. An eighth died in Kuwait from what the military described as a health-related incident. Around 140 personnel have been wounded, with eight listed in severe condition, according to the Pentagon.
With the four confirmed deaths from Thursday's crash, the total number of US fatalities linked to the campaign now stands at 12, not counting the two crew still missing.
The KC-135: An Ageing Workhorse of America's Air Fleet
The KC-135 Stratotanker is the backbone of America's aerial refuelling capability. It functions as a flying fuel station, allowing combat aircraft to extend their range and remain over target areas for longer periods. A typical crew includes a pilot, co-pilot and boom operator, with some missions also requiring a navigator.
The last unit rolled off the production line in 1965, making it one of the oldest airframes in the US Air Force's active inventory. Each aircraft carried a price tag of roughly $39.6 million (£31.5 million) in 1998 dollars. The Air Force is gradually replacing the fleet with the newer Boeing KC-46 Pegasus, though military officials expect the Stratotanker will remain in service until at least 2050.
Thursday's crash appears to be the first loss of a KC-135 since May 2013, when a Stratotanker assigned to the 22nd Air Refuelling Wing suffered a structural failure over northern Kyrgyzstan shortly after takeoff while supporting operations in Afghanistan. All three crew members were killed.
Tanker aircraft have surged into the Middle East in large numbers to support Operation Epic Fury, providing fuel to jets crossing the Atlantic and extending the time on station for fighters striking Iranian targets. The KC-135, with a wingspan of 130 feet, lacks the stealth technology of newer combat aircraft and typically operates well outside contested airspace.
The circumstances of Thursday's incident remain under investigation. CENTCOM has asked for patience as it gathers further details, particularly for the families of those involved.
Originally published on IBTimes UK
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