On Sept. 25, 2015, the Boeing KC-46A Pegasus multi-mission tanker took off from Paine Field in Everett, Wash., on its first flight, landing at Seattle’s Boeing Field approximately four hours later. Boeing delivered the first KC-46A aircraft to the U.S. Air Force in January 2019. Today, more than 60 are in service for the U.S. Air Force, and the Pegasus tanker has flown more than 10,000 sorties globally, delivering millions of pounds of fuel every month for the Joint force and allies.
The Pentagon is considering ditching the Air Force’s plan to buy the E-7 Wedgetail as it looks to outsource the airborne target-tracking mission to space, defense officials indicated this week.