The US KC-46A fleet has surpassed 150,000 flight hours. Credit: Boeing.

The US Air Force (USAF) has awarded Boeing a Lot 12 contract worth $2.47bn for the supply of 15 additional KC-46A Pegasus aerial refuelling aircraft. 

This follows a $2.38bn, Lot 11 contract Boeing received from the USAF in November 2024 for another batch of 15 KC-46A tankers.

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KC-46 programme manager Jake Kwasnik said: “Getting on contract helps ensure production stability, including our long-lead supply chain, to continue delivering the unmatched capability of the KC-46A.”

With the latest order, there are now 183 KC-46A tankers either on contract or in service worldwide.

The USAF has received 98 aircraft to date, while other deliveries include six aircraft to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and four contracted units for the Israel Air Force.

The US KC-46A fleet has accumulated over 150,000 flight hours, covering training missions, operational sorties, and international deployments.

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Recent contracts for the aircraft also cover mission readiness and performance upgrades awarded in July 2024.

These upgrades will provide improvements to communications systems, data connectivity, and situational awareness for aircrews.

The KC-46A Pegasus is derived from the KC-767 platform and is designed as a wide-body, multi-role tanker able to transport not only fuel but also cargo, personnel, and medical patients.

It can carry up to 18 cargo pallets in its hold.

In standard operations, it seats 58 passengers. This number can increase to 114 during contingency operations.

For aeromedical evacuation missions, the aircraft can transport 54 medical patients.

Boeing KC-46A spans 50.5 metres (m) in length, and has a maximum take-off weight of 188,241 kilograms (kg). It can handle maximum cargo load of 29,484kg.

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