USAF tanker missions from Souda Bay continue

Tanker operations from Souda Bay AB (Crete) are still ongoing. Following the arrival of numerous USAF tankers from the United States—initially deployed in anticipation of a potential U.S. strike on Iran—some of these aircraft were forward-based in Crete.

At first, their deployment to Souda was justified by the elevated risk to Gulf bases, which were considered vulnerable to a possible Iranian retaliation. However, as the immediate danger subsided, many USAF assets, including several KC-46A tankers, returned to their usual bases in the Gulf region.

Despite this partial drawdown, other tankers—specifically KC-135R/T—have remained operational in Greece. These aircraft, which arrived directly from MacDill AFB (Tampa), are now flying refueling missions over northern Iraq, supporting coalition aircraft conducting strikes against ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria.

Historically, these types of missions were conducted exclusively by tankers operating out of Gulf-based airfields, making the current shift in basing posture noteworthy.