For more than six decades, an aircraft has been an indispensable part of American military aviation. The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker was created with one main task - to refuel other planes with fuel in the air and thus increase the range and duration of their missions many times over, NOVA reported.
It is precisely such machines that will be deployed at the "Bezmer" airbase in our country on Friday. Their arrival caused violent reactions among both politicians and society. But what are these planes, how do they work, and what do they look like from the inside?
The first KC-135 took off in August 1956, and in 1957 the plane officially became part of the United States Air Force. Since then, the Stratotanker has become the main air tanker of American aviation and has participated in a number of military operations - from the Vietnam War to conflicts in the Middle East.
The plane was developed based on the Boeing 367-80 prototype, which is also the basis for the passenger Boeing 707. Despite the visual similarity between the two machines, the KC-135 has a narrower fuselage and is shorter. It is the first jet tanker aircraft of the US Air Force and replaces the older KC-97 Stratofreighter.
The main task of the KC-135 is aerial refueling. Thanks to it, fighters, bombers and other military aircraft can stay in the air for significantly longer and perform missions over much greater distances. The aircraft can support US Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps aircraft, as well as aircraft of allied countries.
The KC-135 can refuel aircraft through its main system - the so-called “flying boom“. At the rear of the aircraft is a specially trained crew member - the boom operator. He controls the system and precisely connects it to the receiving aircraft during flight. The process requires extreme accuracy and coordination. The operator observes the aircraft to be refueled and directs the boom to a special loading hole. In this way, the KC-135 becomes a kind of “gas station in the sky“.
The aircraft can also use a special hose with a basket, designed for aircraft equipped with refueling probes. In some modifications of the KC-135, special containers have been added under the wings, which allow simultaneous refueling of two aircraft. Whether the receiving aircraft is an F-35 fighter jet or a B-2 strategic bomber, the KC-135 provides the necessary fuel for the crews to continue their missions.
The capabilities of the Stratotanker were particularly evident during the Vietnam War. Air refueling allowed fighters such as the F-105 and F-4, as well as B-52 bombers, to reach targets at long distances.
Without the KC-135's support, many of these aircraft would have been forced to abort their missions due to their limited fuel reserves. Thanks to air refueling, fighters can remain in the area of operations for hours instead of just a few minutes.
The KC-135 also played an important role in subsequent military conflicts, including Operation Desert Storm in the Persian Gulf War between Iraq and the combined forces of 34 countries led by the United States, as well as in modern American military operations.
Aircraft of this type can refuel not only American machines, but also aircraft of allied countries. In certain situations, KC-135 crews have also helped damaged aircraft reach a safe landing site.
The KC-135R Stratotanker is equipped with four turbofan engines located under swept wings with an angle of 35 degrees. The aircraft can take off with a maximum take-off weight of up to about 146,000 kilograms. Its maximum fuel reserve for transfer reaches approximately 90,700 kilograms.
Depending on the configuration of the tanks, the KC-135 can carry up to about 37,600 kilograms of cargo, as well as up to 37 passengers. The aircraft can also be used for medical evacuation, with a specialized medical team added on board. The KC-135 has a speed of approximately 850 kilometers per hour at an altitude of about 9,000 meters, and its maximum operating ceiling is about 15,200 meters.
The initial versions of the aircraft were equipped with Pratt & Whitney J57 engines. Later, a significant number of aircraft were upgraded with new CFM International CFM56 engines. This upgrade significantly improved the aircraft's capabilities. The new engines allowed the transfer of up to 50% more fuel on long missions, reduced fuel consumption by about 25% and lowered operating costs.
The upgraded aircraft are designated as KC-135R or KC-135T. They are also significantly quieter than the original KC-135A. Over the years, the aircraft has also received a number of improvements in avionics, communication systems, navigation, autopilot and surveillance systems. Thus, an aircraft developed in the 1950s continues to meet modern requirements.
Among the aircraft of the KC-135 family is the KC-135E Stratotanker, nicknamed “Never Forget“. This aircraft has been in service with the Utah Air National Guard in Salt Lake City since 1978. It contributes to the National Guard's mission of increasing the global reach of the US military through aerial refueling.
“Never Forget“ was decommissioned in 2009. On May 21 of that year, the aircraft made its last flight to “Hill“ Air Force Base. It was then pulled from the runway and moved to the Hill Aviation Museum, where it remains as a testament to the Stratotanker's more than half a century of service.
The KC-135 is one of the few military aircraft in the world to have continued to serve its original operator for more than 60 years. Despite its age, a number of aircraft of the type continue to be modernized. The US Air Force is gradually replacing them with the new Boeing KC-46 Pegasus, but the transition is being made in stages due to the enormous size of the fleet.
The KC-135 remains in service thanks to its modernizations, its reliability and the key role it plays. Its task is simple but vital - to ensure that aircraft performing combat and strategic missions do not run out of fuel. It is this capability that makes the Stratotanker one of the most important elements of American air power.
More than six decades after its first flight, the KC-135 continues to be the "flying refueling station" of the U.S. Air Force - an aircraft that rarely gets the spotlight, but without which many of the most complex air operations of the United States and its allies would be impossible.