The U.S. Air Force currently operates 96 KC-46A refuelers, which Boeing is also upgrading with new hardware and software.
Boeing announced on Nov. 26, 2025, the award of a new contract, worth $2.47 billion, to build 15 additional KC-46A Pegasus refueling tankers for the U.S. Air Force, covering Production Lot 12. With the 98 KC-46As already delivered to the service, according to Boeing Defense, the total number of aircraft in the fleet will increase to 113 airframes.
Including six aircraft of the JASDF (Japan Air Self-Defense Force) and four contracted for the Israel Air Force, there are a total of 183 KC-46A multi-mission aerial refuelers “on contract or in service globally, providing advanced capability advantages for the joint force and allies,” says the company. The KC-46A is poised to replace the older KC-135 Stratotanker, of which the USAF operates 375 airframes, as per the 2025 World Air Forces report.
The U.S. KC-46A fleet has exceeded 150,000 flight hours, reflecting high utilization across training, operational sorties and global deployment missions. Although the Pegasus’ introduction has been slowed down by problems, the Air Force is showing its commitment to the platform.
“Getting on contract helps ensure production stability, including our long-lead supply chain, to continue delivering the unmatched capability of the KC-46A,” said Jake Kwasnik, vice president and KC-46 program manager.
‘Tank’ful to help grow the fleet!
Thank you, @USAirForce, for your order of fifteen additional #KC46 Tankers to provide fuel, cargo and data for missions worldwide.
Release: https://t.co/rZ8QMRCqXt pic.twitter.com/gW2jZWgSzt
— Boeing Defense (@BoeingDefense) November 25, 2025
KC-46A Pegasus in USAF
Boeing on Feb. 8, 2024 had reported the delivery of the 19th KC-46 to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. On Oct. 4 and Nov. 15, 2025, Boeing reported the delivery of the 17th and 18th Pegasus tankers, respectively, to Travis AFB, California.
We recently reported about the Department of the Air Force selecting McGhee Tyson ANGB (Air National Guard Base), Tennessee, as the preferred location for the Main Operation Base (MOB) 7 of the KC-46A Pegasus fleet. The 134th Air Refueling Wing based there will receive eight new tankers, with the first delivery in 2031 following a final basing decision expected in 2027.
That development came as Boeing was working on resolving a host of technical issues on the Pegasus. The leading snag is the Remote Vision System (RVS) of the refueling boom, with visibility and depth perception handling issues, and a host of other Category 1 deficiencies with the overall airframe.
NEWS: 418th FLTS at Edwards executes historic trilateral test with @AusAirForce @RoyalAirForce. #RAAF E-7A now compatible with @usairforce KC-46, future test teams gain early knowledge ahead of anticipated E-7 fielding.
More- https://t.co/qvtPRzHxK3@HQ_AFMC @AFLCMCofficial pic.twitter.com/sMasEilJdB
— Edwards Air Force Base (@EdwardsAFB) April 28, 2025
Boeing Defense chief Steven Parker recently said, on the sidelines of the Dubai Air Show, that the company has begun flight tests with an improved RVS 2.0 at its Seattle facility. Breaking Defense reported that Boeing has been delivering Pegasus refuelers with what the Air Force dubs RVS 1.5, a marginally improved system over the RVS 1.0 version.
Other KC-46A upgrades
The latest Boeing statement added: “Recent contracts, including the July 2024 award for mission readiness and performance upgrades, are enhancing the KC-46A’s communications, data connectivity and situational awareness capabilities, ensuring the KC-46 remains the world’s most advanced multi-mission aerial refueler.”
The aforementioned Jul. 22, 2024 contract was a $16.8 million award for “software and data enhancements” on the KC-46A fleet. It included “upgrades to the Onboard Performance Tool software for expedited mission launch, with specific improvements for efficient cargo loading and takeoff and landing data management for flight planning.”
The new systems allow aircrews to “complete weight and balance calculations more efficiently and load the aircraft and start missions quickly,” the Boeing press release added. The KC-46A also has a secondary cargo capacity, being able to carry “three times more cargo pallets, up to twice as many passengers and over 30% more aeromedical evacuation patients than the KC-135 aircraft fleet it is replacing,” according to Boeing.
Capabilities
According to a Nov. 18 brochure by the U.S. Air Force, the KC-46A Pegasus has 18 pallet positions, a fuel capacity of 96,297 kg and cargo capacity of 29,484 kg. A previous 2023 contract from the Air Force for the Block 1 upgrade of the KC-46As, was also focused on “advanced communications, data connectivity and situational awareness for aircraft survivability and operational advantage in contested environments.”
A Nov. 24 release by the 305th Air Mobility Wing about the return to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst from a seven-month “contingency deployment” with 16 KC-135 and KC-46 units across Active Duty, Reserve and National Guard wings, stressed about the Pegasus’ capabilities.
A KC-46A Pegasus from Travis Air Force Base🇺🇸 flew to Misawa AB🇯🇵 to refuel F-16s from the 14th Fighter Squadron.
The #USAF attest its capacity to maintain a military presence in the Indo-Pacific. #KC46 #IndoPacific #AirToAirRefueling @ArmyRecognition pic.twitter.com/ZJxSt8EpXn
— Indopac News (@IndopacNews) June 25, 2025
On that occasion, Master Sgt. Charles Taylor said: “We leveraged the Guard and Reserve’s experienced KC-135 personnel, as well as the KC-46’s advanced mission system avionics to overcome international hostilities and employ both fleets of aircraft at a breakneck pace, ensuring maneuverability for the entire joint force.”
