A serious air accident has occurred over Iraq during US military operations related to the war against Iran. Two US Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker tanker aircraft collided at high altitude during a highly complex aerial refueling operation.
According to reports, one of the planes, although damaged, managed to land in Israel, while the other crashed in the western Iraqi desert. All six servicemen on board were killed.
The alarm was raised immediately and search teams with helicopters and planes launched operations in a dangerous area of Iraq, where militias hostile to Western forces operate.
KC-135 aircraft are modified variants of the Boeing 707, in use since the 1960s. Although very old – some of them are over 60 years old – they remain essential to US military operations, because they refuel fighter jets in the air and enable them to carry out attacks over very long distances.
In this conflict, bombers and fighter jets often operate on targets located up to 2,000 kilometers from bases, needing to refuel several times during a mission.
According to preliminary data, the accident occurred during an extremely rare and difficult operation: refueling from one air tanker to another. The aircraft that was receiving fuel had entered under the body of the other, but for reasons still unclear, the collision occurred.
The damaged plane flew to Israel and made several circles over the sea to unload fuel before landing at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.
Meanwhile, special MC-130 Hercules aircraft and Blackhawk helicopters were sent to search the desert for the wreckage. Four bodies were initially found, while two other pilots were still missing in the early stages of the operation.
The Pentagon is not ruling out any scenario, including the possibility that the pilots have been captured by local militias, a development that could create a very tense situation in the region.
