Boeing has been awarded a Lot 12 contract by the US Air Force for 15 additional KC-46A Pegasus aerial refueling tankers, valued at $2.47 billion.
The award supports continued KC-46A production as Boeing works through a period of recovery following this year’s temporary delivery pause.
Deliveries were halted in April 2025 after structural cracks were discovered on two aircraft at the final stage of assembly, prompting a broader inspection effort. Deliveries resumed in July 2025 once repairs were implemented and the Air Force cleared aircraft to return to the handover schedule.
“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 at Boeing.
According to Boeing, 183 KC-46A aircraft are now on contract or in service worldwide. This includes 98 delivered to the US Air Force, six to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, and four contracted for the Israel Air Force.
The program is also progressing through a series of capability upgrades. The Remote Vision System 2.0, the long-awaited overhaul of the aircraft’s refueling vision suite, remains in development and is expected to reach full operational readiness in 2027.
As the KC-10 Extender tankers have now been retired and the KC-135 fleet continues to age, the KC-46A remains central to the US Air Force’s modernization efforts while the program addresses its remaining shortcomings.
