An American aerial refuelling jet has crashed in Iraq, amid Washington’s escalating conflict with Iran that has engulfed the Middle East in violence.
The US Air Force Boeing KC-135 tanker went down in Iraq some time the evening of 12 March local time. Little is known about the circumstances of the incident or the fate of the aircraft and crew.
US Central Command (CENTCOM), which is managing US combat operations in the Middle East, confirms the loss, but says it not caused by ether hostile action or friendly fire.
“The incident occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury, and rescue efforts are ongoing,” CENTCOM says. “Two aircraft were involved in the incident. One of the aircraft went down in western Iraq, and the second landed safely.”
The Pentagon says more information will be made available as the situation develops. No details on the state of the incident aircraft or the crew was provided.
The presence of a second aircraft suggests there may have been some kind of catastrophic error or mechanical failure during an attempt at in-flight refuelling.
Open source flight tracking data indicates that two USAF KC-135s were operating over Iraq in the evening hours of 12 March. It is not yet clear if either was the incident aircraft.
American broadcaster CBS News is reporting that the second aircraft was another KC-135.
In recent weeks, hundreds of US combat jets and transport aircraft have been operating over the Middle East, Eastern Mediterranean and the corridor toward key bases in Germany and the UK.
A number of long-range bomber sorties into Iranian airspace have also been conducted from both the UK and North America.
All that activity requires significant tanker support and round-the-clock refuelling operations to maintain the flow of combat operations. At least 20 US Air Force tanker aircraft were forward deployed to the Middle East at the end of February, according to the Center of Strategic and International Studies.
The Stratotanker crash marks the fourth US aircraft lost during the Iran air campaign, and potentially the first casualties among American aircrew.
Three Boeing F-15E strike fighters from the USAF were shot down earlier in the conflict, the result of friendly fire by either ground based air defences or Kuwaiti fighters.
All six crew were able to safely eject from each of the two-seat American jets.
