U.S. Aerial Refueling Aircraft Conducts Repeated Flights Over the Strait of Hormuz

A U.S. aircraft was tracked conducting repeated flights | Flightradar24

Misbar’s team at Al Araby TV tracked, through flight data from Flightradar24, repeated flights by a Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft over the Strait of Hormuz.

The aircraft’s activity coincided with Iranian attacks on northern Israel in response to Israeli strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs. Its presence over the region also coincided with Israeli airstrikes targeting what the Israeli military described as “military targets” in central and western Iran.

According to data reviewed by Misbar, the military aircraft departed from Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday evening at 22:06 UTC.

The aircraft followed a repeated circular flight pattern over the Strait of Hormuz for approximately four hours.

After takeoff, the aircraft headed directly toward the airspace over the Strait of Hormuz and began flying a repeated circular route, remaining continuously airborne over the area for roughly four hours.

A review of the timeline showed that the aircraft’s presence over the waters of the Arabian Gulf coincided with the timing of the Israeli attack on Iran.

The Israeli military issued its first official statement at 4:26 a.m. Jerusalem time, announcing that the Israeli Air Force had carried out strikes on “military targets” in western and central Iran shortly beforehand. The timing coincided with reports by Iranian state-affiliated media outlets, including Fars and Mehr, that explosions had been heard in the areas of Tehran, Isfahan and Tabriz.

Israeli military announces strikes on “military targets” in western and central Iran.

During its return flight, tracking systems showed the aircraft flying over southern occupied Palestinian territory at 06:45 UTC before heading directly back to its point of departure. It landed at Ben Gurion Airport at approximately 07:30 UTC.

Aircraft flying over southern occupied territory during its return at 06:45 UTC.

The aircraft landed at Ben Gurion Airport at approximately 07:30 UTC.

Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker Specifications

KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft, operated by the 434th Air Refueling Wing and manufactured by Boeing, serve as the primary platform for providing aerial refueling to bombers, fighter jets and long-range transport aircraft, in addition to performing airlift missions.

Aircraft image.

The aircraft is powered by four CFM-56 turbofan engines, each producing 21,634 pounds of thrust and mounted beneath wings swept at a 35-degree angle. This configuration allows the aircraft to take off at a maximum weight of 322,500 pounds and operate at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet.

It can fly at speeds approaching the speed of sound—about 530 miles per hour at an altitude of 30,000 feet—allowing it to refuel other aircraft without requiring them to slow down or descend to lower altitudes, which would increase fuel consumption.

The aircraft can carry up to 200,000 pounds of transferable fuel and has a range of approximately 1,500 miles. Its upper cargo deck can accommodate six pallets and cargo weighing up to 83,000 pounds.

Fuel is transferred through a rear aerial-refueling boom operated by a dedicated boom operator, or through a hose-and-drogue system. Wing-mounted refueling pods also enable the aircraft to refuel two aircraft simultaneously.

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