Battle-Damaged KC-135R 63-8028 Leaves Mildenhall for U.S. With 2-Month Repair Gap
Updated
Updated · The Aviationist · May 31
Battle-Damaged KC-135R 63-8028 Leaves Mildenhall for U.S. With 2-Month Repair Gap
6 articles · Updated · The Aviationist · May 31
May 30 photos showed KC-135R 63-8028 departing RAF Mildenhall for Bangor, Maine, with extensive temporary fuselage repairs and its refueling boom removed to make the tanker airworthy for the trip home.
The Alaska Air National Guard jet had arrived from Tel Aviv on May 23 after its last tracked operational mission on March 26, leaving a roughly 2-month gap that points to battle damage sustained during Operation Epic Fury.
Damage on 63-8028 is concentrated on the lower rear fuselage, unlike another repaired KC-135R seen at Mildenhall in April, suggesting shrapnel struck from below and behind; open-source reporting tied the damage to Iranian drone or missile attacks.
After Bangor, the tanker is expected to continue to Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma for depot-level inspection, where it could be restored to service or stripped for spare parts.
The transit underscores how Iranian strikes and a fatal Iraq incident hit a fleet of more than 350 KC-135s during a war that again exposed the Air Force's heavy dependence on tankers.
As missile attacks cripple key tanker aircraft, is the U.S. Air Force's strategy for protecting its vital refueling fleet failing?
After a $28 billion operation, is the fragile ceasefire with a still-armed Iran a victory or a prelude to more conflict?