KC-46A Tanker Squadrons

Abstract

Replacement of the legacy tanker fleet will take place in several stages. The initial tanker replacement increment of KC-46As will replace roughly a third of the current capability. Future programs will ultimately recapitalize the entire tanker fleet over a period of more than 30 years. The Air Force completed an Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) in Apr 2006 to determine the most appropriate strategy to recapitalize the aging fleet of aerial refueling aircraft. Based on this analysis, the Air Force concluded a strategy of full and open competition to select a commercial derivative replacement tanker aircraft would result in a best value tanker contract. To initiate the first phase of the tanker replacement, the KC-46A program released a final Request for Proposal (RFP) on 24 Feb 2010, and entered source selection on 9 Jul 2010. The KC-46A program held a Milestone B (MS B) Defense Acquisition Board (DAB) on 23 Feb 2011, received approval to enter Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) from the Undersecretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics) (USD(AT&L)) on 24 Feb 2011, and awarded the KC-46A EMD contract to Boeing on 24 Feb 2011 to develop and procure 179 KC-46A aircraft. The program is procuring four RDT&E aircraft for integration and demonstration of capability which will ultimately be operationally fielded. During production, the program plans to procure 175 aircraft throughout 13 lots. The KC-46A program held a MS C DAB on 12 Aug 2016 and received approval to enter Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP). The program awarded LRIP Lots 1 and 2 on 18 Aug 2016, LRIP Lot 3 on 27 Jan 2017, LRIP Lot 4 on 10 Sep 2018, and LRIP Lot 5 on 27 Sep 2019. Lot 6 awarded on 12 Jan 2021, Lot 7 awarded on 20 Jan 2021, Lot 8 awarded 31 Aug 2022, Lot 9 awarded 27 Jan 2023, and Lot 10 was converted to LRIP on 17 Nov 2023 and was put on contract 28 Nov 2023 bringing the total number of aircraft on production contract to 139. Initial sustainment effort is provided via Interim Contractor Support (ICS) as the program is transitioning to organic sustainment. KC-46A funding also supports Training Systems, Support Equipment, Operational Site Activation, Depot Stand-Up, Alternate Mission Equipment (AME), Direct Mission Support, Program Support Costs (PSC) activities, Other Government Costs (OGC), various studies and analyses, future tanker planning activities, long lead items, and potential Diminishing Manufacturing Sources (DMS) and obsolescence planning activities. The KC-46A has been validated at the Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC) multiple times from Nov 2004 to May 2018, and is a critical force extender in our Joint Warfighting Concept. In addition to its air refueling capability, the KC-46 is planned to be a key joint and coalition communications node. The KC-46A will provide the capability to fuel joint and coalition receivers via a boom or drogue system on every mission and will also augment the airlift fleet with cargo, passenger, and aeromedical evacuation capabilities. The KC-46A will operate in day, night, and adverse weather conditions to enable deployment, employment, sustainment, and redeployment of U.S. joint, allied, and coalition forces. The KC-46A will have communication, navigation, and surveillance equipment for world-wide operations; the capability to perform missions in chemical and biological environments; the ability to operate in up to medium threat environments with self-defense/protection (both active and passive) capabilities; and the necessary battle space awareness to mitigate survivability threats. The first DD250 was signed on 10 Jan 2019. The Air Force delivered the first KC-46A to McConnell Air Force Base on 25 Jan 2019. As of 12 January 2024, 80 aircraft have been delivered to the Air Force via DD250. Mobility Air Forces (MAF) Connectivity is a requirement for Line-of-Sight (LOS) and Beyond-Line-of-Sight (BLOS) connectivity capability on the KC-46A. This will enable maximum MAF connectivity and real-time secure command and control for aircrew situational awareness. The Aircrew Training System (ATS) and Maintenance Training System (MTS) are being procured using KC-46A funding. The ATS contract was awarded on 1 May 2013 to Flight Safety Services Corporation, now known as Flight Safety International - Defense. The ATS contract will provide Aircrew Training Devices (ATDs), to include Weapon System Trainers (WSTs), Boom Operator Trainers (BOTs), Fuselage Trainers (FuTs), Part-Task Trainers (PTTs), and emerging technologies to meet validated Air Mobility Command (AMC) aircrew training requirements at each Main Operating Base (MOB) and the Formal Training Unit (FTU). The ATS contract will also support Distributed Mission Operations (DMO), provide aircrew instruction, develop courseware, provide logistics support, acquire a technical data package to support future competition efforts, and manage training device/courseware concurrency with the aircraft. The first eight ATS production options were exercised on 19 Aug 2015, 31 May 2017, 30 Apr 2018, 31 Mar 2019, 27 Feb 2020, 4 Mar 2021, 24 Feb 2022, and 15 Nov 2022. Option year nine was put on Un-definitized Contract Action (UCA) 10 Oct 2023. Option nine is scheduled to definitize in March 2024. The MTS contract was awarded 6 Jul 2016 to The Boeing Company. The MTS acquisition focuses on designing, developing, testing, producing, and fielding an optimized training system for KC-46A maintainers by integrating various forms of training media and Maintenance Training Devices (MTDs) into a "blended" solution. This blended solution includes the appropriate mix of hardware and software, "high-fidelity" Augmented Hardware Training Devices (AHTDs), Part Task Trainers (PTTs), Interactive Multimedia Instruction (IMI), and emerging technologies to meet validated AMC maintenance training requirements. This requirement supports performance of a full financial audit as required by U.S.C. Title 10, Subtitle A, Part I, Chapter 9A, Sec 240-D, Financial Improvement and Audit Remediation (FIAR) Plan. This program element may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver weapon system capability. The use of such programs funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program element 0605827F, 0605828F, 0605829F, 0605831F, 0605832F, 0605833F, 0605898F, and 0606398F. In FY 2023 $1.292 million was expended for civilian pay expenses in this program element, and in FY 2024 $3.268 million is forecast for civilian pay expenses in this program element. This program is in Budget Activity 5, System Development and Demonstration (SDD) because it has passed Milestone B approval and is conducting engineering and manufacturing development tasks aimed at meeting validated requirements prior to full rate production.

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2025
• Source ID: 0401221F_5_3600_PB_2025
• Change Summary Explanation: FY 2023 funding request was reduced by $37.134 million to account for the availability of prior year execution balances. FY 2025 funding request was increased by $25.918 million for PACS development and KC-46A aircrew training systems development.
• Service Agency Name: Air Force

Entities

Organizations

• United States Air Force

Tags

Readers

• Aerospace logistics and air mobility.
• Civilian Systems Systems Program Capability Development and Upgrade Support Activity Expense and Pay Management.

Technology Areas

• Fully Networked C3
• Fully Networked C3 - Command and Control
• Space