A U.S. Navy F-4 Phantom II of fighter squadron VF-114, flying from the carrier USS Kitty Hawk, takes on fuel from a tanker aircraft via the probe-and-drogue method. Aerial refueling extended the range and time-on-station of carrier-based fighters during the Vietnam War, allowing squadrons like VF-114 to maintain combat air patrols and escort strike missions deep into contested airspace. Project: 219011