U.S. Air Force to use KC-46A refueling boom on operational missions

[TR_123456]

The Air Force last week approved the KC-46 for limited refueling missions under requests from the U.S. Transportation Command, the branch announced. File Photo by Marian Lockhart/Boeing

Aug. 9 (UPI) -- After years of issues, the U.S. Air Force has begun using the KC-46A aircraft's refueling boom on operational missions.


Air Mobility Command Gen. Jacqueline Ovost approved the Interim Capability Release mission set for the Boeing KC-46A Pegasus aerial refueling tanker on Friday, the branch said in a press release.

This marks another milestone for the troubled tanker that has yet to see combat, and the Air Force intends to wait to declare the aircraft operational until a series of safety and operations issues are resolved, Defense News reported.


The first ICR decision for the air refueling boom mission set allows the U.S. Transportation Command to task it with refueling the C-17 Globemaster III, B-52H Stratofortress and KC-46 receivers, according to the Air Force press release.

It also allows the Pegasus aircraft and crews to reduce pressure on KC-135 and KC-10 tankers for air refueling, which has been a goal since the modified Boeing 767 was introduced in 2019.


"We have reviewed many of the KC-46 operational employment criteria over the past several months and it was clear we were ready for another milestone," Brig. Gen. Ryan Samuelson, who leads the KC-46 cross-functional team, said in the release.

"Though a fully mission-capable aircraft is a few years away, releasing capability our KC-46 bases have demonstrated they can safely and effectively support and employ is a large part of how AMC is accelerating the KC-46 on the path to becoming fully operational and combat-ready," Samuelson said.

U.S. Air Force to use KC-46A refueling boom on operational missions - UPI.com

The U.S. Air Force has begun using the KC-46A aircraft's refueling boom on operational missions.

www.upi.com