US refueling plane crashes in Iraqi airspace; six soldiers were on board, says TV

KC-135 Stratotanker tanker takes off from a base in the US Central Command area, in Reuters file image The United States Central Command reported that the Air Force lost this Thursday (12) a KC-135 refueling aircraft in friendly airspace, in Iraq. Six occupants were on board, according to the American network CBS. ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp Until the last update of this report, the US government had not confirmed the crew’s health status. The aircraft does not allow ejection, which may reduce the chances of survival in the event of a crash. American bases in the region have been used in fighting against Iran since the 28th. Therefore, United States aircraft are positioned in the area to support military operations. In a statement, Central Command said the incident occurred during Operation Epic Fury, conducted against Iran, and that rescue operations were underway. “Two aircraft were involved in the incident. One crashed in western Iraq, and the second landed safely,” the text said. “This did not occur due to enemy fire or friendly fire”, state the Armed Forces, without detailing the reason. Moments later, the Iranian state agency Fars presented a different version. According to the agency, the plane was shot down by a missile launched by resistance groups in Iraq. The report states that the entire crew died. The plane See the videos that are trending on g1 The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is the main US military refueling aircraft. The model is a four-engine engine developed in the 1950s and has undergone successive modernizations. The structure is based on the Boeing 707, a civil aircraft. The KC-135 entered service in 1957 and had 803 units manufactured. In addition to the US Air Force, Chile, India and Türkiye use the model. KC-135s usually have three crew members: pilot, co-pilot and an operator responsible for the refueling boom, according to the US Air Force. Some missions require a navigator, and the aircraft can carry up to 37 passengers, according to the corporation’s information sheet. Monitoring website FlightRadar24 reportedly showed another KC-135 declaring an emergency before landing safely at Tel Aviv airport on Thursday, according to CBS. It is not known whether the two cases are related. A US Air Force Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker taxiing at Morón Air Base, in Morón de la Frontera, southern Spain, on August 27, 2021 Marcelo del Pozo/Reuters/Archive Friendly fire in Kuwait This is not the first incident with American manned aircraft during the Iran War. On the 2nd, three US Air Force F-15 fighters were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti forces. The six pilots managed to eject, were rescued and had their injuries treated at hospitals in the region. Since the start of the war, seven American soldiers have died: six in an Iranian bombing raid on the port of Shuaiba, in Kuwait, and one at the Prince Sultan Air Base, in Saudi Arabia. The Pentagon also confirms 140 injuries in operations and the death of a member of the National Guard due to health problems in Kuwait.

Source link