KC‑10 Extender planes withdrawn from the Middle East. America has a successor
4:52 PM EDT, October 9, 2023
The United States has decided to withdraw the KC-10 Extender aircraft from the Middle East. These flying tankers have been present in this region of the world for the last 30 years. However, Washington is not giving up the capabilities that this type of aircraft provides - they are replacing them with newer planes.
At the beginning of October, the United States announced the cessation of flights of the KC-10 Extender flying tankers, previously stationed at the Saudi Prince Sultan Air Base. The last mission of this type of aircraft took place on October 6.
All units stationed in the Middle East to date are to be rebased to the United States and all future missions will be performed over their territory. This won't take long, as the schedule foresees the withdrawal of these aircraft from service by the end of 2024.
The KC-10 flying tankers have been stationed in the Middle East for the last 30 years, serving 18-month duties. As calculated by ZBiAM service, during the last round, the machines performed approximately 1300 missions, during which 11,000 air refuelings took place. On average, each of them involved the transfer of about 3.3 tons of fuel.
The withdrawal of KC-10 Extender airplanes from Saudi Arabia doesn't mean that Americans will remain in the Middle East without the support of flying tankers. The old KC-10s are being replaced by newer Boeing KC-46A Pegasus planes.
KC-10 Extender Flying Tanker
The KC-10 Extender is a large, flying tanker. It was developed in the 70s based on the civilian passenger aircraft, the McDonnell Douglas DC-10. A total of 60 of these types of aircraft were produced between 1981-1987, with 59 remaining in service.
The planes are 180 feet in length, with a wingspan of 165 feet, and their maximum takeoff weight reaches 294,320 pounds, of which 363,760 pounds can be fuel. The aircraft can also be adapted for transport tasks - the cargo hold can then accommodate up to 25 pallets with a load of up to 169,765 pounds and several passengers.
The service of KC-10 Extender airplanes is slowly coming to an end. Although they are still in operation, these machines are currently intended to operate over the territory of the United States, and by the end of 2024 they are to be completely retired and replaced by Boeing KC-46A Pegasus airplanes.
