KC-135ストラトタンカー、軍用機の運用を変えた空中給油機

Fueled for the fight A KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to the 168th Air Refueling Wing refuels F-22 Raptors from the 3rd Wing alongside F-15 Eagles from the 144th Fighter Wing over the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex, Alaska, April 18, 2022. The aircraft trained together as part of Alaska Dissimilar Aircraft Combat Training. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Charles Vaughn)

KC-135 soars over CENTCOM AOR A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft, assigned to the 350th Expeditionary Aircraft Refueling Squadron, flies over Qatar, Feb. 13, 2021. The KC-135 delivers U.S. Air Forces Central Command a global reach aerial refueling capability to support joint and coalition aircraft throughout the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Joey Swafford)

U.S. Air Force 92nd Maintenance Group Airmen prepare a KC-135 Stratotanker from the 916th Air Refueling Wing, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, for aircrew to disembark, at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, Oct. 16, 2019. Team Fairchild received the first of 12 additional KC-135s to join the base fleet; the remaining aircraft are scheduled to arrive by the end of February 2020. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman Kiaundra Miller)

A KC-135 Stratotanker takes off from the flightline at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, Feb. 18, 2015. The KC-135 fleet at Al Udeid AB flew more than 14,700 sorties in 2015 accumulating 103,419 combat hours in support of Operations Inherent Resolve and Freedom’s Sentinel. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Kia Atkins)

KC-135 Stratotanker practices landings A KC-135 Stratotanker descends before landing at McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., Jan. 18, 2018. Air Mobility Command’s tanker fleet, which is primarily made up of KC-135s, offloaded 1.18 billion pounds of fuel to U.S. and allied aircraft in 2017. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Erin McClellan)

140306-F-FV476-129 Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody operates a KC-135 Stratotanker boom operator weapon system trainer at the KC-135 Aircrew Training Center March 6, 2014, at Altus Air Force Base. Cody, Air Force Chief of Staff Mark A. Welsh III and their spouses, Athena and Betty, visited the base to interact with Airmen, their families and the Altus AFB community. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Franklin R. Ramos)

F-22 refuels with synthetic fuel An F-22 Raptor from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., receives synthetic fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker Aug. 28 during an aerial refueling test using an alternative jet engine fuel. The KC-135 Stratotanker is from March Air Reserve Base, Calif. (Lockheed Martin photo)

Gas and go A KC-135 Stratotanker from Grand Forks Air Force Base N.D., refuels an F-22 Raptor from Edwards AFB, Calif. Jan. 18. A refueling team from Grand Forks will be the lead tanker unit at an upcoming Red Flag exercise. (U.S. Air Force photo/Darin Russell)

Fighters refuel over Alaska An F-22 Raptor from Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, receives fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker from the Kansas Air National Guard’s 190th Air Refueling Wing May 26, 2010. The refueling took place over Alaska. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Brian Ferguson)

F-22 Raptor is refueled An F-22 Raptor is refueled by a KC-135 Stratotanker over the Nevada Test and Training Range during the U.S. Air Force Weapons School’s Deliberate Strike Night, June 16, 2016. The exercise is part of the final seven-day advanced integration portion of the school’s curriculum, testing stealth and conventional airframes’ abilities to conduct attacks during the hours after sunset. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Kevin Tanenbaum)

An F-15E Strike Eagle approaches a KC-135 Stratotanker An F-15E Strike Eagle assigned to the 492nd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron approaches a KC-135 Stratotanker with the 28th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, June 12, 2020. The 28th EARS, deployed with U.S. Air Forces Central Command, is responsible for delivering fuel to U.S. and coalition forces providing air power, deterrence and stability to the region. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Brandon Cribelar)

140328-F-HA826-149 An F-15E Strike Eagle from RAF Lakenheath, England, takes on fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker from RAF Mildenhall March 28, 2014, during exercise Tonnerre Lightning. The exercise was a combined endeavor between U.S., British and French air force members to train for real world operations. RAF Mildenhall regularly trains with allied armed forces to help strengthen partnerships and standardize training. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Dillon Johnston)

Eglin Air Force Base key to Emerald Flag success A 96th Test Wing F-15E Strike Eagle prepares for in-flight refueling from a 155th Air Refueling Wing KC-135 Stratotanker during exercise Emerald Flag over the Gulf of Mexico, Dec. 3, 2020. More than 25 agencies participated in the exercise at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The exercise incorporated ground, space, cyberspace and air platforms for joint test and experimentation. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua Hoskins)

190620-F-ZD147-0352 An F-35A Lightning II conducts aerial refueling with a KC-10 Extender from the 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, June 20, 2019 within U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility. The fifth-generation fighter aircraft provides the pilot with comprehensive situational awareness in a sphere around the aircraft for missile and aircraft warnings, day and night vision, extended range detection and precision targeting against air and ground threats, granting the U.S. Air Force and its allies’ air superiority. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Keifer Bowes)

Fighting Falcons U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 408th Fighter Squadron, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, conduct aerial refueling with a KC-135 Stratotanker from the 100th Air Refueling Wing, RAF Mildenhall Air Base, England during a training sortie Sept. 9, 2015, over The United Kingdom. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jason Robertson/Released)

Fueling the Falcon A KC-135 Stratotanker from Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash. refuels an F-16 Fighting Falcon over New Mexico, April 14, 2022. Crews from Fairchild AFB provided air refueling support during a training mission, allowing the F-16 crews to maintain mission readiness. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Staff Sgt. Lawrence Sena)

K-135 refuels F-16 over Afghanistan An F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the 77th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, is refueled by a KC-135 Stratotanker over the skies of Afghanistan, Nov. 22, 2017. F-16s are used to provide vital air support to Afghan and coalition forces on the ground. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Sean Martin)

140923-F-YQ276-364 A KC-135 Stratotanker from Fairchild Air Force Base refuels a B-1B Lancer during a training exercise Sept. 23, 2014, over South Dakota. For more than 50 years the KC-135 has provided the core aerial refueling capability for the Air Force. The aircraft can travel up to 1,500 miles with 150,000 pounds of transfer fuel, which enables the Air Force to project rapid, flexible military power. The B-1B is assigned to Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Mary O’Dell)

Mirror image A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer, assigned to 34th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, flies behind a U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker, assigned to 506th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, during a Bomber Task Force mission over the Pacific Ocean, June 25, 2022. Bomber Task Force missions provide opportunities to train alongside allies and partners building interoperability and bolstering the collective ability to support a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Nicholas Priest)

Deter and Assure; 100th ARW increases bomber’s global reach A KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to the 100th Air Refueling Wing Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, prepares to transfer fuel to a B-2 Spirit from Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., off the coast of Spain, June 13, 2017. Two B-2s deployed to the U.K. to participate in theater bomber assurance and deterrence operations. Bomber deployments enhance the readiness and training necessary to respond to any contingency or challenge across the globe. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Micaiah Anthony)

AFROTC cadets participate in orientation flight Master Sgt. Marshall N. Rice Jr. refuels a B-2 Spirit over New Jersey April 2, 2014. Air Force ROTC cadets observed the mission as part of the 108th Wing’s orientation flight program. The orientation flight offers the cadets an opportunity to observe the pilots and aircrew perform their jobs in a real-world environment. Rice is a boom operator with the 108th Wing, New Jersey Air National Guard assigned to Joint Base McGuire Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. The B-2 is assigned to the 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. (U.S. Air National Guard photo/Master Sgt. Mark C. Olsen)

72-hour mission A KC-135 Stratotanker refuels a B-52 Stratofortess, departing McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base, Tenn., for a 72-hour endurance mission Oct. 6, 2022. For more than 72-hours, the KC-135 only landed to refuel, change crews, and service engine oil while keeping at least one engine running. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jenna A. Bond)

Operation Enduring Freedom An A-10 Thunderbolt II receives fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker July 10, 2014, over Eastern Afghanistan. The A-10 is assigned to the 303rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan and the KC-135 is assigned to the 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. Its maneuverability at slow speeds and low altitude has made the Thunderbolt II one of the most utilized aircraft for close air support throughout Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Matthew Bruch)

180615-F-ZU607-0119 A KC-135 Stratotanker refuels a Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet over Iraq June 15, 2018. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Staff Sgt. Corey Hook)