Kansas Air Base Moves Planes Ahead of Storms

Officials have removed aircraft from a Kansas military base to prevent them from being damaged during expected heavy storms.

McConnell Air Force Base spokesman Colby Hardin says the aircraft are being sent to Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane, Washington, and Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota.

The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, is forecasting severe storms with the possibility of tornadoes and large hail Tuesday, including in the Wichita area. McConnell is about 9 mile southeast of Wichita.

The aircraft and support personnel will return when conditions are safe. The air base is open for business Tuesday.

McConnell currently houses mostly 1950s-era KC-135 refueling tanks. That fleet is being replaced by new KC-46A tankers, which are scheduled to begin arriving next year.