US Air Force repaired shrapnel-damaged KC-135 after Iranian attack PHOTO

The US Air Force repaired a KC-135 Stratotanker that was damaged by shrapnel during an Iranian attack, allowing the aircraft to fly back to the US for full repairs, according to senior Air Force commanders.

Air Mobility Command (AMC) commander Lt Gen Daniel H. Tulley said the tanker was preparing for a mission when an attack warning was issued, and personnel took shelter, TWZ reports.

After the attack, the aircraft was found with holes in its fuselage and still carrying about 200,000lb of jet fuel. It took 48 hours to drain the fuel, while maintenance personnel began collecting it, patching the holes and repairing the aircraft's systems.

The aircraft was eventually able to make a transoceanic flight back to the US, where it was due to undergo comprehensive repairs.

Tulley did not identify the location of the attack. However, five US Air Force tankers were reportedly damaged during an Iranian long-range strike on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia on 14 March. The damage was later confirmed in a US Department of War Inspector General report.

Lt Gen Linda Hurry, commander of Air Force Materiel Command, said an aircraft battle damage repair team had patched the KC-135 sufficiently for it to reach Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma, where it could be fully repaired.

The Air Force has also moved some repair and maintenance work closer to operational areas to keep aircraft flying during the prolonged conflict.

Tulley said damaged aerial refuelling booms had been repaired in the UK rather than being sent back to the US. He said about 30 booms had been repaired at forward locations.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen Kenneth S. Wilsbach said maintenance personnel and spare parts had also been moved to Europe, allowing aircraft to undergo safety inspections and other maintenance without returning to the US.

A similar approach was used for US bomber operations from RAF Fairford in the UK, according to Air Force Global Strike Command commander Gen Stephen L. Davis.

He said maintainers and support personnel were positioned at Fairford while bombers flew missions to the Middle East before returning to the UK. The aircraft had subsequently conducted almost daily operations from the base for more than six months.

The commanders said moving maintenance and repair capabilities forward had helped sustain the readiness of the US air fleet during Operation Epic Fury.

By Aghakazim Guliyev