US Air Force to get $2.38 billion increase in number of aerial refueling tankers
Washington: A new deal with Boeing will increase the number of aerial refueling tankers in the U.S. Air Force by $2.38 billion. According to a Boeing statement, the firm will construct 15 KC-46A Pegasus tankers for the Air Force, which now has 168 KC-46A multi-mission aerial refuelers under contract worldwide.
Military aircraft may increase their range and flying duration by using the KC-46A Pegasus to refuel them in midair. Boeing has described its more than 100,000 flight hours and more than 200 million pounds of fuel offloaded to receivers worldwide as an example of “unparalleled capabilities.”
In July, Boeing was also given a contract by the Air Force to “improve the mission readiness and performance of the KC-46A tanker.” This was valued at $16 million and includes data and software upgrades that would let workers do weight and balance calculations more quickly.
The $184 million contract for improvements, which included line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight communications systems with encryption and antijamming capabilities, was given in March 2023.
Boeing has sent four KC-46As to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and 89 to the U.S. Air Force since 2019.
“We value our ongoing collaboration with the U.S. Air Force,” said KC-46 program manager and vice president Lynn Fox in the release. “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.”
It follows Boeing’s deal with Israel to buy 25 cutting-edge F-15 fighter planes for $5.2 billion as part of a bigger U.S. military assistance package. With the possibility to buy an extra 25 planes, the delivery of these aircraft is scheduled to start in 2031.
The agreement highlights Israel’s need for advanced military equipment in the face of growing tensions with Iran, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Hamas in Gaza.
In the meantime, when unionized machine workers voted in favor of a contract offer from the firm, Boeing’s seven-week-long strike action has finally ended.
According to union officials, 59 percent of the more than 33,000 International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) members in Washington, Oregon, and California who voted on the proposal supported the agreement.
With the license, the aerospace firm can now begin producing its flagship aircraft and begin to recover from billions of dollars in financial hardship.
