On July 29 (local time), a source from the Middle East air traffic control agency said that a US Air Force Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker transport and refueling aircraft was operating in international waters in the Persian Gulf, near Iranian-controlled airspace.
According to TASS news agency, the plane took off from Tel Aviv (Israel) and is currently flying in a circular orbit at an altitude of about 6,000m, close to the border area managed by the Iranian air traffic control agency.
Sources say that the KC-135R began to be commissioned in March 1960 and has been in service for more than 66 years, becoming one of the oldest military aircraft still operating in the US Air Force.
In addition to the KC-135R mentioned above, there are currently 3 refueling aircraft of the same type operating in the Persian Gulf area. However, these aircraft have not flown directly over the sea but still maintain operations in neighboring areas.
According to another source in the regional air traffic control system, most of the US refueling aircraft deployed to the Middle East today are over 60 years old. These are mainly variants of the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker series, developed from the 1950s based on the Boeing 367-80 civilian aircraft model.
The main mission of KC-135 is to refuel in the air for fighter jets, reconnaissance aircraft and many other military vehicles, helping to extend operating time and expand combat range.
Information about the operation of US refueling aircraft appeared in the context that relations between the US and Iran are still potentially unstable. Previously, US President Donald Trump declared that Washington is ready to launch stronger attacks on Iran if necessary, but still left open the possibility of reaching an agreement with Tehran.
The US and Israel launched a military campaign against Iran from the end of February, followed by retaliatory actions by Tehran against Israel and some US military bases in the Middle East. Although the two sides reached a ceasefire agreement in June and then continued to announce the cessation of airstrikes on July 24, the security situation in the region is still assessed as sensitive and unpredictable.
