The KC-135 Stratotanker, described by the US Air Force as a "gas station in the sky," extends the range and endurance of aircraft, supporting agile combat for the United States and its partners.

The KC-135 has supported US tactical fighters and bombers for more than 60 years.

It is a key support asset for the Air Force's Agile Combat Employment (ACE) concept, introduced as Air Force doctrine in 2022.

ACE focuses on spreading out power and operations from large, centralized bases to smaller, dispersed locations, providing troops with greater mobility and the ability to rapidly respond to a wide variety of threats.

"When applied correctly, ACE complicates the enemy's targeting process, creates political and operational dilemmas for the enemy, and creates flexibility for friendly forces," the doctrine says.

Key to the concept is the KC-135 Stratotanker, which is capable of aerially refueling two receiver aircraft at the same time.

Highly trained teams with the KC-135 have crews on standby, ready to take off within minutes to support a variety of missions.

Ready to refuel anywhere in the world

The KC-135 enhances the Air Force's capability to accomplish its primary mission of global reach. Its reliability and performance make it a preferred choice.

The Stratotanker can pump 90,700kg of fuel through a flying boom, which is controlled by a crew member during in-flight refueling.

Some Stratotankers have been configured with Multi-point Refueling Systems.

This modification adds pods to the KC-135's wings to allow refueling of US Navy, US Marine Corps and most NATO tactical jets via the probe-and-drogue method, while keeping the tail-mounted refueling boom.

US Stratotankers have refueled aircraft from allies in the Middle East, providing key support and making the United States a partner of choice.

In recent years, the United States has spent more than $300 million to fly aerial refueling missions in support of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and others, according to Air Force Times. Most of that went toward the hourly costs of flying the KC-135 Stratotanker and KC-10 Extender tankers.

As the ACE concept is incorporated by other Middle East partners, the KC-135 will serve as the backbone of support -- ready to refuel from anywhere and extend the range and endurance of allied aircraft.