The
Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is a military
aerial refueling aircraft. It and the
Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the
Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the
KC-97 Stratofreighter. The KC-135 was initially tasked with refueling strategic bombers, but was used extensively in the
Vietnam War and later conflicts such as
Operation Desert Storm to extend the range and endurance of US tactical fighters and bombers.