Six Airmen Killed as KC-135 Crashes in Iraq

Losses Mount in Operation Epic Fury

Six U.S. Air Force crew members were killed when a KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq during ongoing combat operations against Iran. U.S. Central Command confirmed that all six crew members aboard the aircraft were deceased, describing the loss as occurring while the crew was on a combat mission during Operation Epic Fury — the U.S. campaign against the Islamic Republic that began in late February.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation. CENTCOM and the Air Force both confirmed the incident was not the result of hostile or friendly fire, ruling out the most immediate explanations. A second aircraft was reportedly involved in the incident but landed safely. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine stated the crash occurred while the crew was on a combat mission but confirmed it was not the result of enemy action.

The Operational Context

The KC-135 Stratotanker is the backbone of U.S. aerial refueling operations worldwide. Some airframes have been in service for over 60 years, with continuous upgrades. In a campaign like Operation Epic Fury, which has involved sustained strikes across a large geographic area, KC-135s are flying near-continuous missions to keep combat aircraft fueled and mission-capable.

Numerous KC-135s are currently deployed to the U.S. Central Command area of operations. Their crews typically fly long, demanding missions — often 10 or more hours — in challenging conditions. Each KC-135 represents a capability node that supports multiple combat aircraft, and its loss requires redistribution of refueling responsibilities across the remaining fleet.

Casualty Toll in the First Two Weeks

The KC-135 crash brings U.S. service members killed in combat actions during Operation Epic Fury to 13, with approximately 140 more wounded — eight severely. A separate non-combat death occurred when an Army National Guard officer who also served as an NYPD officer died in Kuwait on March 6.

The KC-135 loss is the fourth manned U.S. aircraft lost during the campaign. Earlier losses included three F-15E Strike Eagles shot down by a Kuwaiti F/A-18 in a friendly fire incident on March 1, though all six crew members successfully ejected and were recovered safely. Pentagon officials told senators in classified briefings that the first six days of Operation Epic Fury cost approximately $11.3 billion — a figure that excluded a range of war-related expenses and is likely to rise.

This article is based on reporting by Defense News. Read the original article.