The US Air Force has awarded Boeing a pair of contracts worth $3.1 billion for 19 KC-46A Pegasus tankers.
The larger of the two deals to produce 15 aerial refuelers for the USAF by November 30, 2025 is worth $2.2 billion.
The second contract calls for four KC-46A tankers to be built for Israel for an amount not exceeding $927 million. The work is expected to be completed by December 31, 2026.
The contract also covers “the non-recurring engineering design and test for the Remote Vision System 2.0 and the Air Refueling Operator Station 2.0 mission equipment and installation, pre-delivery integrated logistics support, and technical publications.”
To Replace Old Israeli Tanker Fleet
The US State Department approved the sale of up to eight Boeing planes to Israel in March 2020.
In December 2021, the Israeli government signed a $3.1 billion deal with the US government to buy two KC-46s along with 12 Lockheed Martin-Sikorsky CH-53K helicopters.
The aerial refuelers will replace the Israeli military’s Ra’am (Boeing 707) tanker aircraft, in service since 1969.
Multirole Aircraft
The tanker aircraft is capable of multi-point simultaneous aerial refueling of “all US and coalition military aircraft compatible with international aerial refueling procedures,” according to Boeing.
The multirole aircraft is designed to transport cargo, passengers, and patients with a lift capacity of up to 65,000 pounds (29,400 kilograms). It is equipped with defensive and tactical situational awareness systems.