US Air Force to Get $2 Billion Tanker Aircraft Boost

The U.S. Air Force will receive a boost to its aerial refueling tanker numbers worth $2.38 billion thanks to a new contract with Boeing.

The company is set to build 15 KC-46A Pegasus tankers for the Air Force, which currently has 168 KC-46A multi-mission aerial refuelers on contract globally, according to a Boeing statement.

The KC-46A Pegasus is used to refuel military aircraft in midair, making it possible for the aircraft to extend its range and flight time. It has flown more than 100,000 flight hours and offloaded more than 200 million pounds of fuel to receivers globally in what Boeing has dubbed a demonstration of "unparalleled capabilities."

The Air Force also awarded Boeing a contract to "upgrade the mission readiness and performance of the KC-46A tanker" in July. This was worth $16 million and included software and data enhancements that would make it easier for crews to be able to carry out weight and balance calculations more efficiently.

A U.S. Air Force KC-46A Pegasus jet takes off on April 23, 2021, in Everett, Washington. Boeing has been awarded a £2 billion contract from the U.S. Air Force. AP

That contract came after one awarded in March 2023, worth $184 million, for upgrades including line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight communications technologies with antijamming and encryption features.

Since 2019, Boeing has delivered 89 KC-46As to the U.S. Air Force and four to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.

"We appreciate our continued partnership with the U.S. Air Force," vice president and KC-46 program manager Lynn Fox said in the statement. "This is another big milestone for our team, and we look forward to delivering the world's most advanced multi-mission aerial refuelers for years to come."

Newsweek contacted Boeing via email for comment.

It comes after Boeing also reached a $5.2 billion agreement with Israel to purchase 25 advanced F-15 fighter jets as part of a larger U.S. military aid package. The delivery of these aircraft is slated to begin in 2031, with an option to purchase an additional 25 jets.

The deal underscores Israel's reliance on cutting-edge defense technology as it faces ongoing conflicts with Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and mounting tensions with Iran.

Meanwhile, Boeing has been grappling with strike action for around seven weeks, which has finally come to an end after unionized machinists voted to approve a contract offer from the company.

More than 33,000 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) in Washington, Oregon and California voted on the proposal, with 59 percent supporting the deal, according to union leaders.

The approval paves the way for the aerospace manufacturer to resume production on its flagship airliners and start recovering from significant financial strain amounting to billions of dollars.