RAF

In another visible sign of the damage inflicted by Iran during the now-paused war, a KC-135 Stratotanker was spotted over the weekend at RAF Mildenhall in the United Kingdom peppered with temporary shrapnel damage repairs. The aircraft is at least the second to transit through the installation with damage from the war.

The photographs, from aviation photographer Andrew McKelvey, show the KC-135 heavily speckled with shrapnel damage to the tail, its vertical stabilizer as well as its flaps. It is also missing its refueling boom entirely.

It is unclear where this jet was struck. There were five tankers reportedly damaged in the Iranian long-range strike on Prince Sultan Air Base (PSAB) in Saudi Arabia on March 14. However, data from FlightRadar24 shows that the jet was taking off and arriving at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv Israel on the day before and after the attack on PSAB. In addition, that data shows it was still flying missions after that incident, which seems highly unlikely. The KC-135 could have been hit somewhere else or the data is wrong. We just don’t know at the moment.

“It’s still here and parked on the visitors ramps on the north side of the base,” McKelvey told us Monday morning EDT.

This jet, tail number 63-8028, belongs to the Alaska Air National Guard’s 168th Wing. It arrived at Mildenhall from Ben Gurion on Saturday, according to data from FlightRadar24. 

As we have reported in the past, dozens of U.S. Air Force refueling aircraft now deployed to Ben Gurion Airport are expected to stay in Israel at least until the end of this year, Israel’s N12 News reported on X.

“The presence of the aircraft—not the U.S. military—is causing significant operational difficulties at Ben Gurion Airport, as they are parked almost everywhere possible at the port,” the outlet added.

As noted earlier, this is at least the second KC-135 that has visited Mildenhall sporting shrapnel damage and temporary repairs. Last month, McKelvey shared images with us of a KC-135 from the Ohio Air National Guard’s (OANG) 121st Air Refueling Wing covered from nose to tail with these repairs. However, additional ones could have transited to Mildenhall or other installations in Europe before flying to Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma for far more comprehensive repair work. Tinker is home to the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex, which performs programmed depot maintenance and modifications on KC-46, KC-135, B-1B, B-52, E-3 and Navy E-6 aircraft.

As we explained in our story about the OANG jet: “While all tankers are precious assets, at least to a degree, due to the high demand on the fleet and its cumulative age, in this case there may be at least one positive side effect from the damage. Executing a battle damage repair plan in the field to get a KC-135 back in the air is a good real-life exercise, one that could prove vital if a future conflict in the Pacific were to erupt. Lessons will certainly be learned on many levels from Operation Epic Fury. And some of these lessons came the hard way even though they really shouldn’t have.”

The pock-marked tankers are among more than 40 aircraft damaged or destroyed during Epic Fury. In addition to those hit by shrapnel, two tankers were involved in a mid-air collision in March over Iraq that killed all six crew members aboard one of the jets.

About two weeks after that incident, a KC-135 was pulled from the Boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona and sent to Tinker.

“At the request of the KC- 135 System Program Office, the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group regenerated KC-135R, tail number 58-011, to support operational requirements,” an Air Force spokesperson told us last month. “The aircraft departed on April 2, 2026, enroute to the Oklahoma Air Logistics Complex at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.”

The Air Force declined to specify what those operational requirements were.

You can get an idea of the extent of U.S. aircraft losses from our recent graphic linked here.

However, these aircraft losses are just part of the damage from Iranian missile and drone attacks.

“Iranian airstrikes have damaged or destroyed at least 228 structures or pieces of equipment at U.S. military sites across the Middle East since the war began, hitting hangars, barracks, fuel depots, aircraft and key radar, communications and air defense equipment,” The Washington Post reported earlier this month. “The amount of destruction is far larger than what has been publicly acknowledged by the U.S. government or previously reported.”

We have reached out to the wing and U.S. Air Forces Central (AFCENT) for more information about the damaged tankers and will update this story with any pertinent details provided.

Contact the author: howard@twz.com

Inside, you will find a double bed, bunk beds, and a kitchen equipped with a microwave, toaster, kettle and fridge

Two retired RAF helicopters have been transformed into stunning glamping pods – and they are already fully booked. The yellow Sea King aircrafts have found their forever homes being stationed at North Yorkshire Water Park, at Wykeham Lakes, near Scarborough., after long careers saving lives across the UK.

They now add to a believed four other Sea Kings which have been transformed into liveable accommodation in Britain. Their specialist interiors have been ripped out and replaced with a double bed, bunk beds, and a kitchen, equipped with a microwave, toaster, kettle and fridge.

Some parts of the cockpit – including the controls and switches – are still intact, but stunning images show how it has been reworked into a dining area.

Its sliding door acts as the main access point and when opened leads onto a gravel landing pad, with a picnic bench. The water park says the helicopters offer a “unique and “memorable” stay which were designed for couples, families to enjoy.

The helicopters were originally built for the RAF for Search and Rescue, according to North Yorkshire Water Park.

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Both the ZE369 and XZ589 offered decades of service at the forefront of life-saving missions across the UK, carrying out daring rescues in all weather conditions.

The pods were available to be booked from Friday, May 1 – the first four weeks are fully booked, according to Airbnb. Prices start at £130 a night.

James Whitehead, operations manager at North Yorkshire Water Park: “We are incredibly excited to welcome the new Sea King helicopter glamping pods to our stay on-site offering.

“Both helicopters have an extraordinary history, having spent decades carrying out life-saving search and rescue missions across the UK.

“It was important to us that the original character and charm is preserved as much as possible while making them a cosy place to relax after a day of fun.”

North Yorkshire Water Park is one of the UK’s largest spanning a huge 250 acres. The outdoor adventure destination features massive inflatable aqua parks, lakes for kayaking, paddleboarding, and open-water swimming.