Boeing to Deliver Four KC-46 Refueling Tankers to USAF

As many as four KC-46A air refueling tankers are ready for delivery to the McConnell Air Force Base with the United States Air Force (USAF) giving its acceptance to the first KC-46A Pegasus tanker aircraft. 

Delivery process of four subsequent aircraft destined for Oklahoma’s Altus Air Force Base will commence beginning as early as next month, the company said in statement Thursday.

During extensive flight testing, six KC-46 completed more than 3,800 flight hours and offloaded more than four million pounds of fuel to A-10, B-52, C-17, KC-10, KC-135, KC-46, F-15E, F-16 and F/A-18 aircraft. The Pegasus has been rigorously tested throughout all aspects of the refueling envelope and in all conditions, including day, night and covert, a Boeing Statement said yesterday.

Boeing is on contract for 52 of an expected 179 tankers for the Air Force. Beyond the first aircraft that was accepted today, nine aircraft are undergoing customer acceptance testing with the remaining aircraft of the contracted amount in production.