Thread by @vcdgf555

Rumblings of trouble in Iraq tonight. May turn into a thread as situation progresses.

https://twitter.com/no_itsmyturn/status/1342552369360293888

Pair of KC-135s over UAE, heading west currently.

60-0337 (AE0482)
59-1502 (AE0597)

This is what started the trouble. AAH militias threatening a response.

https://twitter.com/BarzanSadiq/status/1342553650850361349?s=20

3 additional KC-135 tankers now over Iraq. Total of 5 up currently.

58-0066 (AE0590)
63-8019 (AE05AA)
60-0353 (AE062B)

Make that 6 KC-135 tankers up now.

62-3578 (AE07BE)

All of these contacts have been via Mode-S/MLAT on open source flight tracking apps, just FYI.

Tanker number 7, Persian Gulf.

KC-135T 58-0061 (AE0479)

RSAF 🇸🇦 Arieye AEW&C aircraft airborne west of Bahrain currently.

Reg. 6001 (7103B7)

Tanker number 8.

KC-135R 63-8007 (AE0489)

9th tanker spotted, Iraq.

KC-135R 62-3544 (AE05A7)

RAF 🇬🇧 Sentinel R.1 battlefield surveillance aircraft that started thread now on station. Just sent a ping at Angels 41, Iraq.

Reg. ZJ692 (43C09D)

From 15 minutes earlier. 10th tanker, this time a KC-10A Extender.

MOJO85 is reg. 86-0028 (AE0227)

I have seen implications there are F-16s and F-15s that have shown on flight receivers, from 15 minutes earlier. This is fairly common as the fight against the remnants of ISIS continues. The disposition, number of fighters, etc do not indicate anything unusual at the moment.

Tankers 11 and 12, Persian Gulf, both KC-135Rs.

63-8003 (AE0139)
60-0366 (AE0505)

Not sure what to make of this. Aircraft using an invalid hex code (300000)... this typically implies a drone or mil flight but it is using an SAR callsign (SAR03).

Tanker number 13 for the night (0028 local, 2128Z).

KC-135T 58-0065 (AE0242), currently at Angels 29 (AAR altitude).

14th separate tanker identified tonight over Persian Gulf (this beats my previous record of 8 by a lot).

KC-135T Reg. 60-0343 (AE04E7).

While this is the 15th tanker spot tonight, this one is frequently associated with the ongoing fight against the remnants of ISIS and may be Operation Shader-related instead of what else is going on.

RRR9422 🇬🇧 is A330 MRTT ZZ332 (43C6F5)

The absolute state of Iraq tonight.

4 KC-135 tankers currently on Mode-S/MLAT coverage.

Tanker number 16, off Doha.

KC-135R 60-0362 (AE059D). Curious who or what it could be refuelling at Angels 18 and 370 knots.

Not surprisingly, I've missed several. Most notably KC-135 tankers 63-0362 and 61-0311 (not sure what times, I'll have to look up later). Brings observed total up to at least 18 now.

https://twitter.com/DefenceGeek/status/1342590049280516097?s=20

Make that 19th and 20th tankers. 2nd KC-10A of the night.

MOJO86 is KC-10A 79-1711 (AE6A6D)
KC-135R is 59-1515 (AE07A9)

Whatever is going on tonight with Iraq, Turkey appears to want to keep an eye on the Iraqi Kurds.

TCJ22 and TKTIKTB2 are using invalid hex codes (001453 & 001071 respectively).

TCJ22 is using a known Turkish military drone UAV hex code (4B833C).

David has some good perspective about whatever tonight was about. 20 tankers in a couple hours? Different, given the news that was building at the time.

Would be interested in what the 24 hour window looks like come tomorrow compared to the average.

https://twitter.com/cencio4/status/1342603577634775045?s=20

Was wondering if we were going to see one of these.

E-8 J-STARS in the region currently.

https://twitter.com/is_keelu/status/1342611752446472192?s=20

Some indications perhaps that tonight is winding down. Pair of KC-135 tankers moving SE from Kuwait, apparently back to the barn at al-Udeid, Qatar (directions in red). The other is a new KC-135 tanker flight, but with callsign publicly shown (blue).