The tragic midair crash over Iraq of two KC-135 refueling tankers involved planes identical to those based in Bangor.
The reliable workhorse tankers have been in use by the U.S. military since the 1960s.
The 101st Air Refueling Wing, known as the “MAINEiacs,” is the primary air refueling unit stationed at Bangor Air National Guard Base.
As part of the Maine Air National Guard, it operates KC-135 Stratotankers to provide midair refueling support.
One of the tankers involved in the crash Thursday, from California, went down in Iraq and the second one, from Maryland, landed safely in Israel, military officials said.
Though the planes are currently based in other states, it is conceivable that at one point in their lives they have flown into and out of Bangor.
The Air Force has a total of 376 KC-135 Stratotankers, including 151 on active duty, 163 in the Air National Guard and 62 in the Air Force Reserve, according to a report from the Congressional Research Service.
The KC-135 Stratotanker is a U.S. Air Force aircraft used to refuel other planes in midair, allowing them to travel longer distances and maintain operations longer without landing.
The plane is also used to transport wounded personnel during medical evacuations or conduct surveillance missions, according to military experts.
Based on the same design as the Boeing 707 passenger plane, the tanker has been in service for more than 60 years, supporting the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps as well as allied aircraft, according to an Air Force description.
The crash marks the first reported loss of a KC-135 Stratotanker in support of direct combat operations, since a KC-135 from the Air Force 22nd Air Refueling Wing crashed in northern Kyrgyzstan during combat operations in Afghanistan in 2013.
