US military jet
An aircraft similar to the one pictured disappeared last night while flying over the Channel Getty

A US military refuelling aircraft has landed safely after disappearing off radar somewhere over the Channel after reportedly experiencing an 'in-flight' emergency.

The Boeing KC-135R stratofreighter left Amiens in northern France after midnight local time but was last tracked 15 minutes later.

The QID72 flight returned back to its base at Mildenhall, Suffolk. No injuries were reported.

RAF Mildenhall said: "KC-135 Stratotanker with call sign QUID 72 experienced an in-flight emergency at approximately 12.20 a.m. today. It safely returned to RAF Mildenhall at 1.20 a.m.

"Safety is paramount to the success of our mission.

"The air force's stringent safety standards help ensure the well-being of our people and the communities we interact with."

This type of aircraft has been involved in 36 crashes over the years including the most recent in 2013 when a refuelling military tanker crashed in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, killing three servicemen.