A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft took off from MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, between 2:16 AM and 3:45 AM UTC on December 28, 2025, providing support alongside several uplink SATCOM assets, according to an X post by @HHunternight shared within the reporting window. The post cited corroboration from aviation tracking accounts including @AirAssets, @ArmchairAdml, @Flightwatcher1, @Arr3ch0, @LatAmMilMVMTs, @sipjack1776, and @thenewarea51, noting similar KC-135 activity on the night of December 25 supporting a B-1B bomber from the 7th Bomb Wing in the Caribbean region. This takeoff follows the activation of the transponder on U.S. Air Force E-11A BACN aircraft 22-9047 while on the ground in San Juan, Puerto Rico, earlier during the prior reporting window ending at 2:15 AM UTC, as reported by @Arr3ch0. Observers described the E-11A as the "WiFi in the sky," which had arrived in Puerto Rico with its transponder off after prior activity in the Caribbean on December 19.
