Boeing Secures Contract for 15 More KC-46A Tankers to Elevate U.S. Air Force Capability
Boeing is set to manufacture 15 more KC-46A Pegasus tankers under a Lot 11 contract awarded by the U.S. Air Force, amounting to $2.38 billion. Altogether, Boeing has secured contracts for 168 KC-46A multi-role aerial refuelers worldwide, delivering sophisticated capability benefits for the coalition forces and partners.
“We value our ongoing collaboration with the U.S. Air Force,” stated Lynn Fox, vice president and KC-46 program director. “This marks another significant achievement for our team, and we anticipate delivering the globe’s most cutting-edge multi-role aerial refuelers for many years ahead.”
The KC-46A persistently showcases its unmatched prowess, having logged over 100,000 flight hours and transferred more than 200 million pounds of fuel to recipients globally. In October, the Pegasus executed its first full-scale operational deployment after the U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command authorized the KC-46A for international combat missions in 2022.
In July, the Air Force granted Boeing a contract to enhance the mission readiness and efficiency of the KC-46A tanker. This expansion builds on the 2023 Block 1 modernization, further boosting the tanker’s advanced communication systems, data link capabilities, and situational awareness for aircraft survivability and tactical edge in contested areas.
Since 2019, Boeing has supplied 89 KC-46As to the U.S. Air Force and four to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.
With the Lot 11 contract award, a total of 168 KC-46A multi-role aerial refuelers are now under contract worldwide.
KC-46A commenced its initial full-scale operational deployment with the U.S. Air Force in October.
