On Saturday last (September 1st) there were two more US military aircraft at Shannon. One was a US Air Force Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker used for mid air refuelling of other military aircraft. Its tail number was 64-14839 c/n 18779.

The KC-135R was built in 1964, is operated by the Air National Guard in Illinois, and is probably based at RMS Ramstein [Ramstein Air Base], Germany.

The other one looked like a Boeing 737 and had no military markings but has been identified as a US Navy C-40A, with registration 166696. This is in fact a military derivative of the 737-700 commercial airliner. It has a main-deck cargo door that was modified by Boeing for troop and cargo transport missions. The C-40A is being phased in to replace the Navy's aging fleet of C-9B Skytrains.

The Navy originally took delivery of aircraft 166696 from Boeing Commercial Airplane's Global Transport and Executive Systems in Wichita, Kan., Oct. 21, 2011

More information can be found on the C-40A here.

The presence of these type of aircraft in now "normality" at our local warport. The world's largest army seems to have carte blanche to use it as a staging post for refuelling bombers, transporting cargo, and taking troops to and from whatever part of the world it is currently occupying.

KC-135R Stratotanker at Shannon on Sept 1st

US Navy C-40A also at Shannon on Sept 1st