Boeing has announced a contract by the US Air Force for another 15 KC-46A Pegasus aerial refueling aircraft, significantly expanding the initial order.
In total, USAF has now ordered 94 KC-46s. 42 of them have already been delivered since January 2019.
According to Boeing, the aircraft has multirole capability, providing cargo and medical transport in addition to air refueling. It is also integrated into digital battlespace, serving as a communications platform.
KC-46 Pegasus is based on the Boeing 767 wide-body airliner. It has won the latest USAF competition and is set to replace the fleet of ageing Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers.
The new aircraft was plagued by technical problems. As a result, USAF withheld their payments for KC-46s it had already received. In mid-2020, as Boeing was experiencing financial trouble due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the issue was resolved.
