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Support aircraftIn service
Aerial refueling tanker and transport aircraft
Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is a aerial refueling tanker and transport aircraft originating in United States. It was built by Boeing. Reported operators include United States Air Force Turkish Air Force Republic of Singapore Air Force (historical).
United StatesBoeing KC-135 Stratotanker
U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Angelique Perez · Public domain · Resized · Public domain · Source ↗ · ModifiedBoeing 717
Aerial refueling tanker and transport aircraft
United States
Boeing
In service
United States Air Force Turkish Air Force Republic of Singapore Air Force (historical)
803
1955–1965
June 1957
31 August 1956
Boeing 367-80
Boeing C-135 Stratolifter Boeing NC-135
3 (pilot, co-pilot and boom operator; some KC-135 missions require the addition of a navigator.)
up to 80 passengers / 83,000 lb (38,000 kg) or 6 463L pallets
136 ft 3 in (41.53 m)
130 ft 10 in (39.88 m)
41 ft 8 in (12.70 m)
2,433 sq ft (226.0 m 2 )
98,392 lb (44,630 kg)
297,000 lb (134,717 kg)
322,500 lb (146,284 kg)
200,000 lb (90,718 kg) / 29,850 US gal (112,995 L; 24,855 imp gal)
4 × CFM International F108-CF-100 turbofan engines, 21,600 lbf (96.2 kN) thrust each
504 kn (580 mph, 933 km/h)
460 kn (530 mph, 850 km/h) at 30,000 ft (9,100 m)
1,300 nmi (1,500 mi, 2,400 km) with 150,000 lb (68,039 kg) of transferable fuel
9,572 nmi (11,015 mi, 17,727 km)
50,000 ft (15,000 m)
4,900 ft/min (25 m/s)
root: BAC 310/311/312; tip: BAC 313
124,000 lb (56,245 kg)
Reference text from Wikipedia contributors, used under CC BY-SA 4.0.
True scale
Sourced dimensions beside a 1.75 m human reference.
Points represent sourced observations, including revisions. Revisions on the same effective date are not separate inventory events. Ranges appear in the table and are not plotted as exact points.
| Observation / report period | Value | Source | Claim state |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Sept 2026 | 41.53 m | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker equipment records. Variants, orders and quantities are shown as reported in each inventory source; coverage is incomplete.
ChileAir Force exact named equipment holdings: KC-135 Stratotanker. Active, operational-reserve and training units excluding equipment in store; November 2025 IISS assessment. Named service only; no parent-force or national total inferred. Source role: AIRCRAFT / TKR. Original estimates, ranges, reporting names, reserve, lease and employment scopes retained; nested included counts are not added. Missile-system quantities mean launchers, not rounds. No readiness, crew, carried weapon, payload, factory-production or future order count inherited.
Reported count for KC-135 Stratotanker · KC-135E. Service scope: Chilean Air Force; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct count cell(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Retired, wholly reserve and on-order rows are excluded; the reported count retains any explicitly mixed stock scope in the quoted row. Count column(s): in service: 3. Origin: United States. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. Dates are the count-cell citations' stated source period (2022), not the article revision. Cited source 2022-03-31. Edition or publication years do not claim an exact inventory census day.
FranceReported French Air and Space Force holdings as of 31 December 2024. Platforms included: C135FR and KC135 refuelling aircraft together. Not a readiness count.
IndiaAir Force exact named equipment holdings: KC-135R Stratotanker (leased). Active, operational-reserve and training units excluding equipment in store; November 2025 IISS assessment. Named service only; no parent-force or national total inferred. Source role: AIRCRAFT / TKR. Original estimates, ranges, reporting names, reserve, lease and employment scopes retained; nested included counts are not added. Missile-system quantities mean launchers, not rounds. No readiness, crew, carried weapon, payload, factory-production or future order count inherited.
TürkiyeAir Force exact named equipment holdings: KC-135R Stratotanker. Active, operational-reserve and training units excluding equipment in store; November 2025 IISS assessment. Named service only; no parent-force or national total inferred. Source role: AIRCRAFT / TKR. Original estimates, ranges, reporting names, reserve, lease and employment scopes retained; nested included counts are not added. Missile-system quantities mean launchers, not rounds. No readiness, crew, carried weapon, payload, factory-production or future order count inherited.
United StatesUS Air Force (USAF) exact named equipment holdings: KC-135R Stratotanker; KC-135T Stratotanker. Active, operational-reserve and training units excluding equipment in store; November 2025 IISS assessment. Named service only; no parent-force or national total inferred. Source role: AIRCRAFT / TKR. Original estimates, ranges, reporting names, reserve, lease and employment scopes retained; nested included counts are not added. Missile-system quantities mean launchers, not rounds. No readiness, crew, carried weapon, payload, factory-production or future order count inherited.
United States Air Force Turkish Air Force Republic of Singapore Air Force (historical)
Equipment reference ↗Reported count for KC-135 Stratotanker · KC-135R. Service scope: Turkish Air Force aircraft; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct count cell(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Retired, wholly reserve and on-order rows are excluded; the reported count retains any explicitly mixed stock scope in the quoted row. Count column(s): in service: 7. Origin: United States. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. Dates are the count-cell citations' stated source period (2025), not the article revision. 2025 cited publication year. Edition or publication years do not claim an exact inventory census day.
Air National Guard 104,850 reservists exact named equipment holdings: KC-135R Stratotanker; KC-135T Stratotanker. Active, operational-reserve and training units excluding equipment in store; November 2025 IISS assessment. Named service only; no parent-force or national total inferred. Source role: AIRCRAFT / TKR. Original estimates, ranges, reporting names, reserve, lease and employment scopes retained; nested included counts are not added. Missile-system quantities mean launchers, not rounds. No readiness, crew, carried weapon, payload, factory-production or future order count inherited.
Air Force Reserve Command 65,450 reservists exact named equipment holdings: KC-135R Stratotanker. Active, operational-reserve and training units excluding equipment in store; November 2025 IISS assessment. Named service only; no parent-force or national total inferred. Source role: AIRCRAFT / TKR. Original estimates, ranges, reporting names, reserve, lease and employment scopes retained; nested included counts are not added. Missile-system quantities mean launchers, not rounds. No readiness, crew, carried weapon, payload, factory-production or future order count inherited.
Reported count for KC-135R/T Stratotanker. Service scope: Air Force; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct count cell(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Retired, wholly reserve and on-order rows are excluded; the reported count retains any explicitly mixed stock scope in the quoted row. Count column(s): inventory: 376. Origin: USA. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. Dates are the count-cell citations' stated source period (2025), not the article revision. Cited source 2025-06-20. Edition or publication years do not claim an exact inventory census day.