Why The Us Military Still Flies The Boeing 707

Photofex-at/Getty Images

The domiciled of Boeing's 707 successful modern commercialized aviation simply cannot beryllium overstated. It was nan first successful pitchy airliner extracurricular of nan Soviet Union, and by 1955, much Americans were walking by level than by train for nan first clip ever. A akin milestone was checked successful 1957, erstwhile much passengers crossed nan Atlantic Ocean to and from Europe connected jets than by ship, moreover fast ships for illustration nan SS United States. The adjacent year, the Pan Am completed its groundbreaking transatlantic formation from New York to Paris pinch a B707.

In nan end, nan Boeing 707 whitethorn person been a small excessively successful, because its single-aisle creation couldn't accommodate nan monolithic number of passengers who abruptly flocked to aerial travel. Not to mention that its 4 engines were some fuel-thirsty and noisy compared to modern advancements astatine nan time. The past U.S.-based hose to alert nan Boeing 707 was Trans World Airline successful 1983, while Iran's Saha Airlines took nan past civilian 707 formation anyplace connected nan globe successful 2013.

According to a Facebook post from nan aviation news tract Flight Drama, a full of 79 Boeing 707 jets are still flying today, albeit each for authorities aliases subject organizations, not scheduled rider flights. Presumably, that doesn't relationship for nan KC-135 tanker variant, which still numbers successful nan hundreds. These aircraft, while old, are prized for their durable construction, versatility, and agelong cruising range. To that end, galore person been updated pinch caller engines and electronics to support them viable. 

Greg Mathieson/mai/Getty Images

One of nan U.S. military's oldest aircraft, excepting possibly nan B-52 bomber, is nan aforementioned KC-135. Nicknamed nan Stratotanker, this plane was developed simultaneously pinch nan 707 platform. Indeed, nan first KC-135 jets took to nan skies successful 1956, a twelvemonth aft Chevy's small-block V8 engine made its scatter debut. Instead of passengers aliases cargo, nan KC-135 carries more than 31,000 gallons of pitchy fuel, which it dispenses to different craft for illustration combatant jets and bombers mid-air astatine speeds up to 125 mph. A newer Boeing product, nan KC-46 Pegasus, was slated to switch nan aging KC-135 en masse, but it proved problematic connected aggregate levels, giving nan KC-135 a longer lease connected life.

Another Boeing 707 version that's still successful work pinch nan U.S. subject is the E-3 Sentry. As of 2022, nan U.S. Air Force had a fleet of 31 E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning And Control System (AWACS) jets, nan astir caller of which was delivered successful 1984. The E-3 Sentry is beautiful overmuch a flying radar station, pinch nan expertise to way ships, different planes, and missiles.

In nan adjacent future, that domiciled will autumn mostly to abstraction satellites alternatively of airplanes. But successful nan meantime, nan Air Force is facing fund cuts that forestall wholesale replacement of nan aging E-3 Sentry pinch nan B737-based E-7 Wedgetail as an interim measure. In a caller proceeding earlier the Senate Appropriations Committee, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska stated, "The E-3 fleet [is] hardly operational now, and ... you've sewage a business wherever you're not going to beryllium capable to usage much duct portion to clasp things together," arsenic reported by TWZ.