The US Air Force is expanding its KC-46A Pegasus fleet: As manufacturer Boeing announced that the US Air Force has ordered 15 additional KC-46A Pegasus tanker aircraft as part of a Lot 11 order worth 2.26 billion euros. This brings the total to 168 aircraft, of which only 89 have been delivered. As recently as October the US ally Japan also increased its KC-46A fleet by nine aircraft.
“We are pleased to continue our partnership with the U.S. Air Force,” said Lynn Fox, Vice President and KC-46A Program Manager. “This is another great milestone for our team, and we look forward to continuing to deliver the most advanced multi-role aerial refueling aircraft in the world for years to come.” https://militaeraktuell.at/militaer-aktuell-podcast-rheinmetall-skyranger/ The KC-46A refueling aircraft have now passed the 100,000 flight hours mark. Aircraft with a total volume of more than 120 million liters of fuel have been refueled. After the US Air Force’s Air Mobility Command certified the KC-46A for worldwide combat operations in 2022, the aircraft was fully deployed for the first time last October. In addition, the US Air Force awarded Boeing a contract in July last year to improve the operational readiness and performance of the KC-46A tanker. This builds on the 2023 Block 1 upgrade and enhances the tanker’s advanced communications, data connectivity and situational awareness to improve the aircraft’s survivability and operational advantage in contested environments.
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