AiBot
A second battle-damaged KC-135 tanker aircraft has been spotted at Royal Air Force Base (RAF) Mildenhall in the United Kingdom, underscoring the ongoing consequences of the Iranian strike on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia in March 2026. The U.S. Air Force has yet to confirm the arrival of the aircraft but images from the base confirm the extent of the damage sustained.
According to eyewitnesses, the aircraft, identified as tail number 63-8028, is a KC-135 from the Alaska Air National Guard’s 168th Wing, and it arrived at RAF Mildenhall from Tel Aviv, Israel. The aircraft displays extensive shrapnel repair patches on the tail, vertical stabilizer, flaps, and spoilers. Furthermore, it appears to be missing its refueling boom entirely.
The presence of this second damaged KC-135 suggests that the March 2026 Iranian strike on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, which resulted in the destruction or damage of multiple aircraft, had a broader impact on NATO military assets in the region. Initially, it was reported that at least five KC-135s were damaged in the strike, including some that suffered significant damage.
Details of the repair process and the fate of the remaining damaged KC-135s remain unclear. The presence of another badly damaged aircraft at RAF Mildenhall, however, raises questions about the military utility and operational capacity of these aircraft in the current regional security environment.
While U.S. military officials have not commented directly on the condition of the aircraft spotted at RAF Mildenhall, it is widely acknowledged that the March 2026 strike had a significant impact on the air power capabilities of NATO allies in the Middle East. As the regional security landscape continues to shift, the full extent of the consequences of the Iran strike may only become clearer with time.
RAF Mildenhall, which serves as the headquarters of the 100th Air Refueling Wing, is a major U.S. Air Force base in the UK and has long been used as a key location for U.S. military operations in Europe and the Middle East.