Altus Air Force Base Received Its First Boeing KC-46A Tanker

By TOC

SEATTLE, the United States (BulgarianMilitary.com) – Boeing revealed on 8th February 2019 that Altus Air Force Base in the US state of Oklahoma has received its first Boeing multi-role KC-46A tanker, which is the fifth KC-46A Pegasus tanker delivered to the U.S. Air Force as of the moment, learned BulgarianMilitary.com

The first four KC-46 aircraft were delivered in January to McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas.

Read more: The U.S. Defence Secretary Jim Mattis’ Departure Stalls the First KC-46 Delivery

The 56th Air Refuelling Squadron (ARS) at Altus Air Force Base is responsible for Pegasus aircrew, maintenance and support training. It was activated in August 2016 in preparation for the arrival of the new tanker.

Leanne Caret, Boeing Defence, Space & Security President and CEO, said, “We’re excited to see the Pegasus arrive in Oklahoma, a strong partner to Boeing and America’s military. We look forward to continuing to deliver KC-46 tankers to Altus, McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas, and New Hampshire’s Pease Air National Guard Base, throughout this year.”

Three more KC-46A aircraft will be delivered to Altus Air Force Base in the coming weeks.

Read more: Japan Is to Receive a Second KC-46 Tanker from Boeing

The Commander of the 97th Air Mobility Wing at Altus Air Force Base, Col. Eric Carney, commented, “The ‘Mighty 97th’ is looking forward to accepting and integrating the KC-46 into our mission. The 97th AMW has and will continue to produce combat-capable pilots, loadmasters, and boom operators for the KC-135, C-17, and KC-46 and we remain committed to innovating how we train them to be a part of a joint force to win our nation’s wars.”

The KC-46 tanker, derived from the commercial 767 airframe of Boeing, is built in the Everett facility of the company in the U.S. state of Washington. The initial contract for the design and development of the newest tanker aircraft for the needs of the U.S. Air Force was awarded to Boeing in 2011.

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BulgarianMilitary.com
Source: Boeing