Nine Additional PEGASUS in Acceptance Process
On 10 January, the US Air Force (USAF) accepted the first Boeing KC-46A PEGASUS tanker aircraft, which will be delivered to Wichita, KS in the coming weeks.
“The KC-46A is a proven, safe, multi-mission aircraft that will transform aerial refuelling and mobility operations for decades to come. We look forward to working with the Air Force, and the Navy, during their initial operational test and evaluation of the KC-46, as we further demonstrate the operational capabilities of this next-generation aircraft across refuelling, mobility and combat weapons systems missions,” commented Boeing Defense, Space & Security President and CEO, Leanne Caret.
During extensive flight testing, six KC-46 aircraft achieved 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 refuelling envelope and in all conditions, including day, night and covert.
With the signing of what is known as the DD250 paperwork, delivery activities can now proceed. McConnell Air Force Base will receive the first four aircraft, all of which are ready for delivery, with four subsequent aircraft destined for Altus Air Force Base, OK, beginning as early as next month.
Boeing is on contract for 52 of an expected 179 tankers for the Air Force. Beyond the first aircraft that was accepted on 10 January, nine further aircraft are undergoing customer acceptance testing, with the remaining aircraft of the contracted amount in production.