A US military KC-135 tanker has gone missing after declaring an emergency over the Persian Gulf. The aircraft transmitted a ‘7700’ distress signal while conducting refuelling operations. It went off radar shortly after the alert.
The KC-135 was reportedly headed towards Qatar when it declared the emergency. Regional reports indicate GPS jamming and spoofing occurred in the area at the time of the incident. H125 light utility helicopters were observed in the vicinity following the loss of signal.
The aircraft was airborne for hours before triggering the emergency alert. This incident comes amid escalating tensions between the United States and Iran. In March, a KC-135 went down in Iraq during peak US-Iran war activities.
No official confirmation has been made regarding the aircraft’s fate or the cause of the emergency. US Central Command has not released a statement concerning this situation.
