Boeing receives $2.3B Air Force contract for tanker aircraft

Arlington County-based Boeing has received a $2.3 billion contract to build 15 more KC-46A Pegasus tankers for the Air Force.

The Pentagon announced the award for production lot 10 of the tankers Tuesday. Boeing has 153 of the aerial refuelers under contract globally and has delivered 76 to the Air Force and two to Japan, Boeing said in a news release.

“We appreciate our partnership with the U.S. Air Force, which allows for the expansion of the capacity and capability of the KC-46A fleet,” Lynn Fox, vice president and KC-46 program manager for Boeing, said in a statement. “We understand the advantages that KC-46 capabilities give the warfighters, and in the current global environment, we continue to focus our investments on evolving the aircraft for the changing needs of the mission.”

Work will be performed in Seattle and is expected to be completed by July 31, 2027.

The KC-46A Pegasus provides capabilities including aerial refueling, cargo and passenger transportation, medical evacuation support and tactical edge data connectivity. In January, Boeing received a $2.2 billion contract to build 15 of the Pegasus tankers as part of its ninth production lot.

Boeing is the world’s third-largest defense contractor and employs more than 142,000 people globally. In May 2022, the company moved its headquarters from Chicago to Arlington County.