Boeing Secures $2.38B Contract for 15 Additional KC-46A Pegasus Tankers

Boeing has been awarded a $2.38 billion Lot 11 contract by the U.S. Air Force to build 15 additional KC-46A Pegasus tankers. With this contract, Boeing now has 168 KC-46A multi-mission aerial refuelers on order globally, solidifying its role as a key provider of advanced refueling capabilities for the joint force and allied nations.

Lynn Fox, vice president and KC-46 program manager at Boeing, expressed enthusiasm about the milestone: “We appreciate our continued partnership with the U.S. Air Force. This is another big 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 has proven its unparalleled capabilities, amassing over 100,000 flight hours and delivering more than 200 million pounds of fuel globally. In October, the Pegasus achieved its first full-scale operational deployment, following the U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command’s 2022 approval for global combat operations.

In July 2023, Boeing secured a contract to enhance the mission readiness of the KC-46A with upgrades to communications, data connectivity, and situational awareness, building on the 2023 Block 1 upgrade. These enhancements bolster aircraft survivability and operational performance in contested environments.

Since its initial delivery in 2019, Boeing has supplied 89 KC-46As to the U.S. Air Force and four to Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force, further cementing its global footprint as a leading supplier of multi-mission refueling aircraft.