Iranian Missiles Damaged Five US Tanker Aircraft in Saudi Arabia — WSJ

An Iranian missile strike on an air base in Saudi Arabia damaged five U.S. Air Force tanker aircraft.

The Wall Street Journal reported this.

According to the WSJ, the aircraft were damaged but not destroyed and are currently undergoing repairs. No personnel were injured.

At the time of the attack, the aircraft were stationed at Prince Sultan Air Base. In addition to U.S. expeditionary forces, units of the Royal Saudi Air Force are based there, including the 4th, 6th and 14th Air Wings. These units operate support aircraft, including tankers, reconnaissance aircraft and airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) systems.

Tankers play a key role in the U.S.-Israeli air operation.

These aircraft remain on round-the-clock duty and support the operational capabilities of U.S. and Israeli aviation both during missions toward Iran and on return flights.

In total, the United States operates more than 380 tanker aircraft, the majority of which are KC-135 Stratotankers.

Researcher and OSINT analyst Steffan Watkins noted on his page on X that in recent weeks up to 75% of the fleet of aircraft of this class has been airborne.

Despite the high level of aviation activity, accidents and incidents still occur. On the night of March 13, a U.S. military Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in western Iraq.

U.S. Central Command confirmed that four of the six crew members were killed, while rescue operations are ongoing.

The command said the incident occurred in “friendly airspace” during Operation Epic Fury.

Two aircraft were involved in the incident: one crashed, while the other landed safely at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport.