Five US Air Force KC-135 tankers hit and damaged in Iran strike on Saudi air base
March 14, 2026
The US Air Force has suffered damage to five KC-135 tanker aircraft while on the ground at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
US officials told the Wall Street Journal that the aircraft were hit in an Iranian missile strike in recent days, and that while the tankers suffered damage, they would be repaired and returned to service.
The officials confirmed to the outlet that no personnel were killed in the strikes.
Iranian drones and missiles target Prince Sultan Air Base multiple times
Prince Sultan Air Base has been a vital airbase for the US since it was established in the 1990s. In the early 2000s, it was drawn down, and most operations shifted to Al Udeid. Amid tensions with Iran, the US forces returned in 2019, and the 378th Expeditionary Wing was formed.
In the build-up to the current conflict, the US moved a huge number of air assets to the base, starting as early as last summer.
BIG: Massive US Air Force buildup at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
— Clash Report (@clashreport) June 21, 2025
— 22 KC-135 tankers
— 53 likely F-16s
— 10 C-130s
— More aircraft under shelters + new arrivals in past 24h.
One of the key launch points for potential strikes on Iran, alongside Jordan’s Muwaffaq… pic.twitter.com/rZ4mD5gRBw
Multiple Iranian missiles and drones have reportedly targeted Prince Sultan Air Base over the past two weeks. Much of the news has emerged from open-source intelligence monitoring, while official sources have remained largely silent on the extent of any damage.
Video footage purported to show an Iranian ballistic missile strike on Prince Sultan Air Base in Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia, with the missile impacting very close to several U.S. servicemembers, thankfully said to have resulted in only minor injuries to personnel at Prince Sultan. pic.twitter.com/Nlju8TCZ22
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) March 6, 2026
With several additional KC-135 tankers now reportedly non-operational, the US Air Force could face increased pressure on a fleet that underpins its ability to conduct long-range strikes and air patrols.
CENTCOM has not yet publicly commented on the report by The Wall Street Journal.
US Air Force is now down at least seven KC-135 refuelling tankers
Five more KC-135s out of action takes the number of refuelling aircraft grounded to seven, after two KC-135s were damaged in what appears to be a midair collision.
One of those aircraft crashed, and the US has since confirmed that all six crewmembers have perished.
However, the US Air Force isn’t short of KC-135s. It operates a huge fleet of 376, plus another 100 or so KC-46A Pegasus, based on the Boeing 767. Supporting those are dozens of MC-130J tankers.
The extent of the damage to the aircraft at Prince Sultan isn’t known, but as a repair is underway, it can be assumed it’s not catastrophic.
The KC-135s might not be missed in terms of fleet capabilities. Their strategic positioning in Saudi Arabia, however, might.
Featured image: USAF
