🔗RARE: 24 U.S. Military Tankers Cross Atlantic in Unprecedented Airlift A major U.S. military airlift is underway as 20 KC-135s and 4 KC-46 Stratotankers from the U.S. Air Force are actively crossing the Atlantic toward Europe. While officially linked to the 2025 Atlantic Trident exercise (June 16–27), the scale and tempo of this deployment are highly unusual. Additional tankers are reportedly prepositioning along the U.S. East Coast, raising speculation about broader strategic readiness or potential support operations. The USAF maintains the world’s largest aerial refueling fleet with over 600 tankers — this surge hints at extraordinary logistical mobilization.