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United States Boeing
KC-46 Pegasus
Boeing 767-based aerial refueling tanker replacing the U.S. Air Force's aging KC-135 fleet, combining a boom and drogue refueling system with cargo and aeromedical evacuation capability.
In service since 2019 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
915
km/h
12,200
km range
12,000
m ceiling
💲 ≈ $152,000,000 — Approximate unit procurement cost
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
US ITAR-controlled
Export needs U.S. State Dept (DDTC) approval; end-use & re-transfer restrictions apply.
Channel: Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Direct Commercial Sale
Fielded & proven
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 2019. Status: active · ~89 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$380M – $532M
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost — operating & support dominate over ~35 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed
Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.
- 915 km/h Stronger than 75% of transport aircraft
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 12,200 km Top 10% of transport aircraft
- Service ceiling
Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.
- 12,000 m Stronger than 53% of transport aircraft
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 50.5 m
- Wingspan
Wingtip-to-wingtip span.
- 47.6 m
- Height
Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.
- 15.85 m
- Empty weight
Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.
- 82,377 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 3
- Cargo payload
Maximum cargo the transport can carry. Higher means more lift per sortie.
- 29,500 kg Stronger than 38% of transport aircraft
- Troop capacity
Number of embarked troops/passengers (IFV, APC, transport). Higher carries more.
- 114 Stronger than 65% of transport aircraft
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- Pratt & Whitney PW4062 turbofan
- Engines
Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.
- 2
- Thrust
Total engine thrust (with afterburner where applicable).
- 275 kN
- Fuel capacity
Internal fuel volume.
- 96,297 L
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Turbofan
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Unit cost
Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.
- $152,000,000
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 89 Stronger than 54% of transport aircraft
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 1 Stronger than 27% of transport aircraft
Specifications compiled from public Boeing and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
Airbus Defence and Space C-295 Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the Boeing KC-46 Pegasus? +
The Boeing KC-46 Pegasus has a maximum speed of 915 km/h.
What is the range of the Boeing KC-46 Pegasus? +
The Boeing KC-46 Pegasus has a maximum range of 12,200 km.
How many crew does the Boeing KC-46 Pegasus require? +
The Boeing KC-46 Pegasus requires a crew of 3.
What engine does the Boeing KC-46 Pegasus use? +
The Boeing KC-46 Pegasus is powered by the Pratt & Whitney PW4062 turbofan.
How many countries operate the Boeing KC-46 Pegasus? +
The Boeing KC-46 Pegasus is operated by 1 countries.
How much does the Boeing KC-46 Pegasus cost? +
The Boeing KC-46 Pegasus has an approximate unit cost of 152,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration — treat this as directional.
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