U.S. Air Force tankers, including five KC-46 Pegasus and four KC-135 Stratotankers from Cecil Airport in Florida, MacDill Air Force Base, and McConnell Air Force Base, became active for Operation Southern Spear refueling mission during the 30-minute window ending 3:15 a.m. UTC on Dec. 26, 2025, according to X user @ArmchairAdml. @ArmchairAdml listed aircraft details: KC-46s AE5E13 (17-46038, SMUG 32), AE5E11 (17-46036, SMUG 31), AE574F (15-46009, LAVIC 22), AE5F97 (18-46044, REACH 032), AE63B7 (20-46075, REACH 030); KC-135s AE0506 (61-0293, GERM 11), AE0654 (58-0071), AE014C (63-8025), AE0374 (57-1508). Four confirmed on the mission: SMUG 31/32, LAVIC 22, GERM 11. Three additional KC-135s from MacDill headed south. X user @HHunternight reported E-3G Sentry aircraft hex AE11DC, registration 76-1605, callsign MERLN01 active from Kingman Composite Flight Facility with Caribbean SATCOM messaging during the period. X user @Elconde7th stated an unknown number of Stratotankers currently airborne, tagging multiple accounts tracking the activity. This follows X user @sipjack1776's report minutes earlier of a fifth tanker AE0654 tracking southeast from MacDill AFB, amid prior U.S. military aircraft observations in Puerto Rico.
