KC-46A Pegasus Aerial Tanker

The KC-46A, derived from Boeing’s commercial 767 airframe, is built in Boeing’s Everett, Washington, facility. Boeing designed the KC-46 not only to perform as an aerial tanker, but also to carry passengers, cargo and patients.

The aircraft had its first test flight in September of 2015. In January of 2019, the U.S. Air Force accepted the first KC-46A Pegasus, with delivery to be made to McConnell Air Force Base, in Wichita, Kansas.

During extensive flight testing, six KC-46A 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 KC-46A is equipped with a refueling boom driven by a fly-by-wire control system, and is capable of fuel offload rates required for large aircraft. Its hose and drogue system adds additional mission capability that is independently operable from the refueling boom system. The aircraft’s fuel can be pumped through the boom, drogue and wing aerial refueling pods.

The KC-46A can carry up to 18 463L cargo pallets. Seat tracks and the onboard cargo handling system make it possible to simultaneously carry palletized cargo and passenger seats in a variety of combinations. The KC-46 can be converted between cargo, passenger and aeromedical evacuation modes in two hours with cargo rollers — and is compatible with all U.S. Air Force loaders.

The current contract, with options, provides Air Mobility Command an inventory of 179 KC-46A tankers.

In early 2023, the U.S. Air Force awarded Boeing a $2.3 billion contract for the ninth production group of 15 additional KC-46A aircraft. To date, the Air Force has contracted for 128 KC-46A, of which 68 have already been delivered and operationally deployed worldwide.

USAF KC-46A at the Boeing plant in Seattle (photo courtesy of the Boeing Company)

Shown below is a KC-46A Pegasus of the United States Air Force (Photo courtesy of the Boeing Company)

KC-46A Pegasus of the United States Air Force (left) during in-flight refueling operations with a KC-10 Extender (right) (Photo courtesy of the Boeing Company)

USAF KC-46A Pegasus tanker refueling a B-2 Spirit bomber (photo courtesy of the U.S. Air Force)