Boeing has secured a US$2.38 billion contract from the U.S. Air Force to produce 15 additional KC-46A Pegasus tankers under Lot 11. This brings the total number of KC-46A multi-mission aerial refuelers on contract globally to 168, reinforcing advanced capabilities for the U.S. and its allies.
Lynn Fox, Vice President and KC-46 Programme Manager at Boeing, said: “We appreciate our continued partnership with the U.S. Air Force. This is another significant milestone for our team and we look forward to delivering the world’s most advanced multi-mission aerial refuelers for years to come.”
The KC-46A Pegasus tanker has demonstrated exceptional performance, having flown more than 100,000 flight hours and offloaded over 200 million pounds of fuel to receivers worldwide. In October, the aircraft made its inaugural full-scale operational deployment after the U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command approved it for global combat operations in 2022.
In July, the U.S. Air Force awarded Boeing a contract to further enhance the mission readiness and performance of the KC-46A Pegasus tanker. This follows the 2023 Block 1 upgrade, which advanced the tanker’s communications, data connectivity, and situational awareness, providing improved survivability and operational advantage in contested environments.
Since 2019, Boeing has delivered 89 KC-46A tankers to the U.S. Air Force and four to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, underscoring the global demand for the advanced refuelling platform.
