Watch: USAF KC-135 Stratotanker arrives at RAF Mildenhall covered in shrapnel damage
April 13, 2026
A United States Air Force KC-135R Stratotanker has successfully touched down in England, bearing dozens of patched shrapnel holes. The aircraft appears to have been damaged by Iranian fire, yet it remains airworthy after interim repairs.
Damaged USAF KC-135R tanker arrives in RAF Mildenhall
On the 14th of March, AGN wrote that five US Air Force KC-135 Stratotankers had been damaged on the ground in an Iranian strike on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
Battle-damaged USAF KC-135 tanker returning from the Middle East sporting a number of patched shrapnel holes.
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) April 12, 2026
Likely one of the tankers damaged in an Iranian missile/drone attack on Prince Sultan Airbase. pic.twitter.com/idHs3DClIG
It appears that one of those stricken aircraft has now flown from Saudi Arabia to RAF Mildenhall in England, where the US operates an air base.
OSINT account, Armchair Admiral posted, “Great photo here of a rough-looking REACH 717 (59-1444) by @MarkLynham1 arriving at Mildenhall today. They made an emergency landing in Chania on Friday as they were making their way from Prince Sultan Air Base to the UK.”
#USAF United States Air Force
— Armchair Admiral 🇬🇧 (@ArmchairAdml) April 12, 2026
Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker 1x#AE0361 59-1444 – REACH 717
11:44 – REACH 717 inbound RAF Mildenhall from Chania, working BANTER Ops on 300.800 pic.twitter.com/XC69cDFKI7
The KC-135R aerial tanker (callsign RCH717) is assigned to the Ohio Air National Guard’s 121st Air Refueling Wing. Its registration number, 59-1444, shows it was manufactured in 1959, making the aircraft 66 years old.
KC-`135 had to make an emergency landing in Crete on route
It appears the tanker took off from Saudi Arabia on Friday (10th) bound for the United Kingdom, but declared an in-flight emergency while flying over the Mediterranean and diverted to Crete.
The squawk 7700 diversion to Souda Bay on Friday is a bit more interesting for KC-135R 59-1444 #AE0361. Seen arriving at RAF Mildenhall today, we can see repairs in patterns consistent w/ splinter damage from a high explosive detonation. Pic made possible thanks to @MarkLynham1. https://t.co/FhR9okg0sP pic.twitter.com/mibWbWAYRV
— Evergreen Intel (@vcdgf555) April 12, 2026
Yesterday (12th), the aircraft flew from Chania Airport in Crete to RAF Mildenhall. As the aircraft arrived, aviation photographers snapped images and captured videos of it landing covered nose to tail with patches. The patches are apparently interim repairs covering shrapnel damage.
Flight data shows the aircraft had been flying at an altitude of 32,000 feet, suggesting the aircraft was pressurised.
While the aircraft appears to be flight-worthy enough to fly at altitude, all the way to England, the damage is enough for the crew to have diverted to Crete en route. It is unclear if the aircraft is economically repairable or if it will be sent to the boneyard.
Get the latest aerospace defence news here on AGN.
USAF’s fleet of KC-135R tankers
KC-135 tankers share a common origin with the now-retired Boeing 707 quad-engined passenger airliner. The US operates a fleet of around 370 KC-135 tankers (all upgraded to the KC-135R variant). It now operates a fleet of around 100 modern KC-46 Pegasus tankers (based on the Boeing 767).
BREAKING: Good news for Stratotanker lovers. Following the loss of multiple KC-135Rs to surface-to-air and ballistic missiles of the IRGC in Iraq and Saudi Arabia, the U.S. Air Force is reactivating a number of retired and stored KC-135Rs from the 309th AMARG at Davis-Monthan Air… pic.twitter.com/WQuodAFVAm
— Babak Taghvaee – The Crisis Watch (@BabakTaghvaee1) April 3, 2026
The US is now estimated to have lost two KC-135 tankers during Operation Epic Fury, with another six damaged. AGN reported that the Air Force appears to be reactivating at least one mothballed KC-135R, seemingly to replace losses.
As the KC-46 is in production, the Air Force has the option of replacing KC-135 losses, although the KC-46 is only intended to be a partial replacement.
As the KC-135 and, to a lesser extent, the KC-46 (which has countermeasures) are vulnerable in modern air conflicts, the Air Force is looking to develop the Next-Generation Air-refuelling System (NGAS), or KC-Z. This would replace the ageing KC-135s and complement the KC-46s.
It is unclear what NGAS would look like, but some renderings show it as a stealthy autonomous aircraft. Funding issues have put this in doubt, as the Air Force is already struggling to pay for its existing obligations.
Featured Image: US Air Force
