Summary
- KC-46A Tanker Modernization Program further delayed due to issues with technology.
- Pegasus set to become cornerstone of Air Force’s tanker fleet, well-equipped for various missions.
- Despite delays, costs for KC-46 Pegasus program decreased by $2 billion thanks to outdated inflation assumptions.
Findings in a new report by the watchdog US Government Accountability Office (GAO) state that the Boeing KC-46 Pegasus Modernization Program for the Air Force’s new aerial tankers is further delayed. It is unclear if this will affect the overall delivery of the tankers (over 80 have already been delivered by Boeing). As more Boeing KC-46 Pegasus tankers are delivered, they are becoming a cornerstone of the Air Force’s tanker aircraft fleet. The Pegasus will serve the US Air Force, Marines, Navy, and a number of Allied forces and is now one of the top aerial-refueling tankers in the world.
KC-46A Tanker Modernization Program delayed again
According to the GAO report, the Air Force’s KC-46A Tanker Modernization Program has been further delayed because of issues with delivering wing aerial refueling pods and issues with the boom. The report notes that the program has already been delayed by 76 months (over six years).
Photo: Edwards Air Force Base
The program is also at risk of continuing delays due to “ongoing problems with maturing three critical technologies related to the redesigned RVS—a set of visible and long-wave infrared boom cameras and the primary display.”
According to the DoD, “The KC-46A will be equipped with a modernized KC-10 refueling boom integrated with a fly-by-wire control system and will be capable of delivering a fuel offload rate required for large aircraft. Furthermore, a hose and drogue system will add additional mission capability which will be independently operable from the refueling boom system.”
Photo: USAF
The Pegasus also sports defensive systems so that it can operate in contested environments, and it has enhanced refueling capacity, cargo, and other efficiencies over the predecessor KC-135.
It may seem strange that an all-new aircraft is already being modernized (when it was only introduced into service in 2019). However, it is normal for programs to be incrementally updated as they are produced over a period of years. Issues with the Technology Refresh 3 upgrade are also delaying the delivery of F-35 fighter jets.
Related
Boeing Agrees $2.3 Billion Contract With USAF For More KC-46A Tankers
Boeing has secured orders from the United States Air Force for another 15 KC-46A Pegasus refueling tankers.
Costs decrease for the Boeing KC-46 Pegasus
It is not all bad news for the KC-46A Tanker Modernization program. The expected costs have actually decreased thanks to outdated inflation assumptions. Since the last GAO review, the cost assumptions have decreased by $2 billion. The cost decrease accounts for the fact that the Air Force has since planned to procure an additional four aircraft and factors in the increased costs of the boom redesign and retrofitting the aircraft.
Photo: United States Air Force
The Boeing KC-46 Pegasus is the new generation of aerial tankers built to replace the aging Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers. The Pegasus is planned to replace a third of the Air Force’s aerial refueling tanker fleet. They have been in service since 2019 and are based on Boeing’s 767 airliner.
For the 2025 Fiscal Year, the DoD requested to retire 16 KC-135 Stratotankers and purchase 15 KC-46 Pegasus tankers.