@ Honolulu, HI
December 2024
Spotted this KC-46 as we taxied by after landing at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. Developed by Boeing from the 767 airliner, this aircraft is intended to replace the oldest KC-135 Stratotankers in the fleet. First flown in 2015, the first delivery to the USAF was in 2019 with Air Force plans to procure 179 Pegasus aircraft by 2027. Plagued by technical and quality issues, in early 2021 the USAF finally cleared the KC-46 for limited operational use, years behind schedule. In September 2022, the USAF granted approval of the the KC-46 for general operational use. As of December 2024 93 have been delivered, including four to Japan.
