Nichols Martin
The U.S. Air Force has begun using Boeing-made KC-46 Pegasus aircraft to conduct air refueling missions in support of F-35 Lightning II jets, expanding the tanker’s role in the military, Government Executive reported Thursday.
Pease Air National Guard Base in New Hampshire deployed KC-46 units to refuel F-35s of Vermont ANG.
Col. Nelson Perron, the 157th Air Refueling Wing’s operations group commander, said the ANG’s New Hampshire wing is also refueling jets for long-distance flights via KC-46 tankers.
These deployments follow USAF’s clearance of KC-46 tankers for limited operations. Boeing delivered the first KC-46 unit in 2019 and continues to update the aircraft towards achieving full operational capability in the future.
