The KC-46A was refueled for the first time by a KC-10 flying over Washington State, as part of the aircraft’s Milestone C process, according to Boeing. The capability “increases the aircraft’s operational flexibility,” the company posted on Twitter. The Feb. 13 flight is another first for the next generation aerial tanker, which just three days prior used its hose and drogue system to refuel an aircraft in flight. The KC-46 also in January performed its first aerial refueling, passing 1,600 pounds of fuel to an F-16C during a test flight from Edwards AFB, Calif. The company plans to build 179 KC-46s for the Air Force, to replace the service’s aging tanker fleet.
Boeing received a $2.47 billion Air Force contract Nov. 25 for 15 more KC-46s, bringing to 183 the number of Pegasus tankers on contract to all customers, foreign and domestic. The new contract—for Lot 12 of the initially planned KC-46 buy—is to be completed by 2029.
