Air Force Approves KC-46A Tanker for Worldwide Deployment, Including Combat Operations

The Pegasus tanker offloaded 1.46 million pounds of fuel to 66 aircraft over the course of 206 flight hours.

Tuesday, September 20, 2022 at 02:45 PM ET

Verified

The U.S. Air Force approved the Boeing KC-46A Pegasus tanker for worldwide deployment, including support of combat operations, following a recent employment concept exercise in the U.S. Central Command area of operations. [Courtesy: U.S. Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Air Force has approved Boeing's KC-46A Pegasus tanker for worldwide deployment and combat operations, concluding a 15-month Interim Capability Release.
This full operational clearance follows a combat exercise that demonstrated the tanker's ability to refuel aircraft, transport cargo, and transmit battlefield data, significantly advancing the Air Force's fleet modernization.
Despite its new combat readiness, the KC-46A's Remote Vision System still faces display challenges, with an upgrade from Boeing scheduled for installation in 2024.
The KC-46A is also attracting growing international interest due to its air-to-air refueling and substantial cargo capabilities.

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Boeing’s [NYSE: BA] KC-46A Pegasus tanker is now approved for worldwide deployment, including in support of combat operations, according to the U.S. Air Force’s Air Mobility Command (AMC).

The development follows a recent combat employment concept exercise and wraps up a 15-month Interim Capability Release that ensures the tanker could refuel all aircraft, Air Force officials said.