US formally retires Open Skies aircraft

The United States formally retired the last of its two Open Skies Treaty aircraft on 4 June, with a ceremony held at the home of the 55th Operations Group at Lincoln Airport, Nebraska.

Colonel John Litecky, 55th Operations Group commander, gives opening remarks during the Open Skies 670 retirement ceremony at Lincoln Airport, Nebraska, on 4 June. (US Air Force)

The retirement of the second Boeing OC-135B aircraft, tail number 670, came some seven months after the former Trump administration ended US participation in the international treaty on 22 November 2022.

“The 55th Wing has supported the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, and travelled around the world as part of the Open Skies Treaty mission since 1996,” the US Air Force (USAF) said, adding, “A 45th Reconnaissance Squadron aircrew will now fly the aircraft to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base [AFB], Arizona, for placement in permanent storage at the Aircraft Maintenance and Regeneration Center there.” The first OC-135B, tail number 672, was flown to Davis-Monthan AFB in May.

Delivery of aircraft 670 to ‘the boneyard' marks the final episode in the US decision to quit the Open Skies Treaty that was first announced in May 2020. At that time, Washington cited repeated Russian violations, refusing, for instance, to allow access to observation flights within a 10 km corridor along the country's border with the Russian-occupied Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as well as restrictions placed on using an Open Skies refuelling airfield in the Russian-occupied region of Crimea.