A US Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker, a military aircraft designed to refuel other planes mid-air, crashed in western Iraq on Thursday, in an incident U.S. Central Command said involved another aircraft but was not the result of hostile or friendly fire.
The United States Air Force’s primary aerial refueling capability is provided by the KC-135 Stratotanker, which has performed admirably in this capacity for over 60 years, according to the Air Force website.
The plane acts as a “flying gas station,” allowing fighter jets, bombers and surveillance aircraft to remain airborne longer and travel much greater distances.
