A US KC-135 refueling aircraft returning from the Middle East to Mildenhall Air Base in England for repairs has dozens of pieces of specialized aviation tape taped to its fuselage.

Images released on April 12th show a US KC-135R refueling aircraft landing at Mildenhall Air Base in England with numerous pieces of tape on its fuselage. This is a specialized aviation aluminum tape used to temporarily repair minor surface damage until the aircraft is fully repaired.

"These damages are most likely caused by shrapnel. It is very likely that this is one of the US refueling aircraft damaged after Iran attacked Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia last month," commented Tyler Rogoway, editor of the US military website War Zone.

On March 27, Iran launched ballistic missiles at Prince Sultan Air Base, destroying at least one Boeing E-3 early warning aircraft and a KC-135 refueling aircraft, and damaging several others. However, the exact extent of the damage and the impact of the attack on U.S. military capabilities in the region remain unclear.

"The KC-135 refueling aircraft are valuable assets to the U.S. military, due to their high demand and age," Rogoway stated. "The positive aspect is that U.S. forces are able to temporarily repair the KC-135 on-site, which is crucial should a larger conflict erupt in the future."

A KC-135 refueling aircraft flies over Mildenhall Air Force Base, England, on April 12. Photo: TWZ

Kai Greet, editor of the military website Aviationist, said that after the attack on Prince Sultan Air Force Base, the US withdrew some KC-135s that were in storage and transferred them to Tinker Air Force Base for operational restoration.

"This suggests that some KC-135s damaged in the battlefield will not be back in service anytime soon, or may never fly again," Greet stated. "After returning to the US, the KC-135 will be inspected and then undergo a major overhaul to repair the damage if this is feasible and cost-effective."

CENTCOM, the US military's operations agency in the Middle East, has not commented on the information regarding the KC-135.

A KC-135 refueling aircraft with tape on its fuselage at Mildenhall Air Force Base, England, on April 12. Photo: Aviationist

The KC-135 was built on the Boeing 367-80 prototype, entered service in June 1957, and has been in operation ever since, with a total of 803 aircraft produced. The US military is gradually replacing the KC-135 with the KC-46, but this new refueling aircraft model has experienced numerous incidents.

The KC-135 typically has a crew of three, including two pilots, a refueling technician, and sometimes an additional navigator depending on the mission. The aircraft has a top speed of over 900 km/h and a range of 2,400 km when carrying 68 tons of fuel to refuel other aircraft.

As of September 2024, the U.S. military possessed 376 KC-135s, including 151 in active service with the Air Force, 163 with the National Guard, and 62 with the Air Force Reserve. It is unclear how many of these are combat-ready.