US Air Mobility Command’s (AMC) commander general Mike Minihan has approved worldwide deployment capability for the KC-46A Pegasus aerial refuelling aircraft.
With this capability, the aircraft can now conduct various combatant command operations.
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Minihan said: “We are ready to use this aircraft globally in any fight, without hesitation.
“We have rapidly operationalised this aircraft to support the joint force.”
This new KC-46A capability has been cleared after the completion of an employment concept exercise (ECE), conducted in the US Central Command (CENTCOM) area of operations.
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As part of the ECE, the KC-46A refuelled two F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets, assigned under the 335th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron.
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By GlobalDataThis was the first operationally tasked mission carried out by the KC-46A in a combat environment.
This also marked the first time the KC-46A Pegasus aircraft used the military data network, which is the aircraft’s onboard communications system, in a combat scenario.
The system allows KC-46A to provide a secure interface between on-ground Air Operations Center and aircraft operating in its proximity, to further boost battlespace situational awareness.
At the end of ECE, KC-46A successfully offloaded 1.46Mlb of fuel to 66 aircraft in 206 flight hours.
AMC KC-46A Cross-Functional Team lead brigadier general Ryan Samuelson said: “The KC-46 now officially joins the rest of the Air Force’s refuelling fleet in meeting combatant command requirements around the world.”
Furthermore, the latest declaration marks the culmination of a 15-month-long final interim capability release (ICR) process, conducted to ensure KC-46A’s ability to refuel all the applicable aircraft to fulfil combatant commanders’ requirements.
Earlier this year, the AMC cleared the seventh ICR for the KC-46A tanker while the first ICR was approved in July 2021.
