U.S. Air Force activated nine tankers for Operation Southern Spear active refueling mission (40CG) from Cecil Airport in Florida, MacDill Air Force Base, and McConnell Air Force Base during the 29-minute window ending 4:15 a.m. UTC on Dec. 26, 2025, according to X user @ArmchairAdml in a post at https://x.com/ArmchairAdml/status/2004382360972697927. The tankers include five KC-46 Pegasus aircraft—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)—and four KC-135 Stratotankers—AE0506 (61-0293, GERM 11), AE0654 (58-0071), AE014C (63-8025), AE0374 (57-1508), @ArmchairAdml stated. Four are confirmed on the mission: SMUG 31, SMUG 32, LAVIC 22, and GERM 11. Two unknown types bear callsigns LAVIC 21 and GERM 12, with another unknown callsign (40CG 7S), per the post. An additional three KC-135s from MacDill Air Force Base are airborne and headed south, though unconfirmed as part of the flight. Earlier ACARS data indicated positioning flights with KC-46s REACH 030 and REACH 032 in positions three and four, @ArmchairAdml noted. These developments follow X user @AirAssets' report of Langley Air Force Base jets departing stealthily and MacDill KC-135 tankers during the prior window ending 3:45 a.m. UTC.
