DECEMBER 5, 2025 – Air Mobility Command welcomed the 99th and 100th KC-46A Pegasus delivered to the U.S. Air Force, during an arrival ceremony at Travis Air Force Base Dec. 2.
Lt. Gen. John P. Healy, chief of the Air Force Reserve and the commander of Air Force Reserve Command, flew the 99th KC-46A in formation alongside Gen. John D. Lamontagne, AMC commander, who flew the 100th aircraft to Travis AFB, increasing the wing’s ability to connect and project the joint force around the world.
The KC-46A Pegasus is an aerial refueling aircraft capable of performing single and multi-point simultaneous aerial refueling. Designed for versatility and survivability, the aircraft can also support passenger and cargo movement, aeromedical evacuation, and features defensive, self-protection, and communication systems suited for contested environments.
“Today marks not just the arrival of the 100th KC-46 delivered, but the continued strengthening of our nation’s global reach and readiness. The Pegasus represents a key chapter in air mobility, one built on innovation and unwavering commitment to the mission,” Lamontagne said. “To the Airmen who will fly, fix and support this aircraft, you carry forward a proud legacy of excellence.”
The delivery of the 99th and 100th KC-46As is an important milestone marking years of hard work, determination and progress across the mobility enterprise.
“The delivery of the 99th and 100th KC-46As underscores the Air Force Reserve’s ‘Ready Now’ commitment to airpower and rapid global mobility. Our combined Total Force ensures we can reach any spot in the world whenever and wherever our nation calls.” Lt. Gen John P. Healy
Airmen were instrumental in laying this foundation of mission success with arrival of the first two KC-46s to the 22nd Air Refueling Wing at McConnell AFB, Kansas, Jan. 25, 2019.
Through AMC’s development and implementation of the Interim Capability Release process, a risk-informed, data-driven, constraint-analyzed approach to releasing KC-46A operational capabilities to the joint force, the aircraft was certified eligible to support 97 percent of daily joint force air refueling taskings by May 31, 2022. Employment Concept Exercises like ECE 22-03 at Morón Air Base, Spain, demonstrated that the KC-46A was also able to successfully refuel aircraft utilized by allies and partners.
The KC-46A continues to serve as a proving ground for new operational capabilities. Airmen at the 22nd ARW completed a mission with only a pilot and a boom operator, testing the tanker’s ability to execute its primary mission with a reduced crew Oct. 25, 2022. During the mission, a second instructor pilot onboard the aircraft served as a safety observer. The mission demonstrated how the KC-46A could rapidly launch in response to incoming threats and sustain long-range operations using offset aircrews.
Achieving new heights of human endurance, the 22nd ARW also completed a nonstop westbound circumnavigation flight in a KC-46A — a 45-hour Maximum Endurance Operation that showcased Airmen’s ability to extend missions over even greater distances, June 29-July 1, 2024.
Building on these achievements, the KC-46A program has further increased its operational range.
AMC certified the KC-46A worldwide deployable Sept. 14, 2022, following its first operationally tasked mission in a combat zone when it refueled two F-15E Strike Eagles assigned to the 335th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron.
Following a 72-hour notice to generate and deploy a contingency force, the 305th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron established the first enduring KC-46A squadron within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in October 2024. The 305th EARS conducted their first operational sortie in the AOR, marking a significant progression in aerial refueling operations across the region. The KC-46A has since been employed in several major operations and contingencies, including Operation Midnight Hammer in June 2025.
“Every KC-46A we deliver has a unique story on its path to joining the operational fleet,” said Col. David Hall, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center KC-46 program manager. “From the specific artisans at Boeing and their suppliers creating the aircraft, to the Program Office, Federal Aviation Administration, and Defense Contracting Management Agency teams overseeing the build, test and acceptance, to the Air Mobility Command crews who ferry the aircraft to her new home, many hands are ultimately responsible for this and every delivery. This occasion is a testament to the dedication and hard work of all those who have contributed to the KC-46 enterprise as we modernize the Air Force’s aerial refueling capabilities.”
The Total Force operates the KC-46A at Altus AFB, Oklahoma; McConnell AFB, Kansas; Pease Air National Guard Base, New Hampshire; Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina; Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey; and Travis AFB, California, with future announced expansions at March Air Reserve Base, California; MacDill AFB, Florida; and McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base, Tennessee.
The arrival of the 100th KC-46A marks a key milestone of continued rapid operational reach and readiness, driven by a network of professionals ensuring the fleet continues to be mission-ready and relevant.
By Staff Sgt. Dalton Williams
Air Mobility Command Public Affairs