Additional Stratotankers for Metrea?

Unconfirmed reports mention that Metrea (formerly known as Meta Aerospace) has bought eight Armée de l'Air et de l'Espace (AAE, French Air and Space Force) Boeing C-135FR Stratotankers.

With the introduction of the Airbus A330MRTT, the French Air and Space Force C-135FR tankers have started to be taken out of service. The retirement of the first Stratotankers started in October 2020 and the final one was witdrawn on Friday 15 December 2023. This tanker, 737/31-CI, will be flown from Base Aerienne (BA) 125 Istres/Le Tubé to Nimes/Garons on 21 December where already ten other C-135FRs are stored.

The French tanker contingent still operate three KC-135RG Stratotankers next to the A330MRTTs. These KC-135s will be withdrawn when the three A330-243 (1608/F-UJCS, 1657/F-UJCT and 2022/F-UJCU) are modified to MRTT.

Metrea operates four former Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) KC-135R tankers. These were withdrawn from use in 2019 and sold to, then, Meta Aerospace in 2020. One of the Metrea KC-135Rs visited this year's Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford.

It is not known yet which eight French C-135FRs are involved and when they will be flown to the US.

Credit photo (just illustrative): Gerben Hazebroek (Scramble Archive)