Air Force's next-gen KC-46 Pegasus refueling planes will be based at McGhee Tyson

The next-gen "multirole tanker," in addition to advanced refueling systems, has "defensive countermeasures" and "secure ...
Walking Archive on MSN

How aircrew prepare a KC-135 for Global Thunder 26

Aircrew assigned to the 91st Air Refueling Squadron prepare a KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft for departure during Exercise Global Thunder 26 at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, Oct. 22, 2025. Global ...
Yahoo

US Air Force’s monster refueling aircraft to get AI pilot buddy for more autonomy

Merlin, the developer of safe, autonomous flight technology for fixed-wing aircraft, has announced that the United States Air Force (USAF) has accepted its airworthiness plan for the Merlin Pilot ...
The Aviationist on MSN

U.S. Air Force Flexes its Muscles on NATO’s Eastern Flank

In early December, USAF F-35A Lightning IIs and F-16 Fighting Falcons took part in agile airpower exercises across the Baltic states and in Romania. Two ...
Aviation Today

Autonomous KC-135 Flight Testing May Begin Next Year

Flight testing of an autonomous KC-135 Stratotanker may begin next year. Boston’s Merlin Labs, Inc. and the U.S. Air Force’s 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill AFB, Fla., have been testing the Merlin ...
AOL

How boom operators aboard the US Air Force's flying gas stations keep their cool doing an 'inherently dangerous' job

Business Insider recently interviewed a US Air Force boom operator at a base in England. The boom operator is responsible for setting up the midair refueling for a receiving aircraft. They shared how ...
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Sullivan celebrates additional KC-135s to be assigned to Eielson

Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan signaled that Eielson Air Force Base could be anticipating four planned KC-135 Stratotankers soon, more than a year after their expected arrival. In a Wednesday news release, ...
Forbes

Imagine Piloting A 45-Hour Nonstop Flight. The Air Force Does It

As part of Project Magellan, this KC-46 circumnavigated the globe, flying for a consecutive 45 hours without landing, only refueling in midair, 2024. In today's world, social media is all the rage, ...
insider.si.edu

KC-135 Refueling Crew Saves Fighter Pilot Over Afghanistan

CC0 Usage Conditions ApplyClick for more information. When a damaged F-16 flying over hostile Afghanistan territory is leaking fuel and in danger of crashing, the KC-135 crew makes mid-air contact to ...
10 News

McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Air Base to receive KC-46A Pegasus tanker by 2031, enhancing US air power

BLOUNT COUNTY, Tenn. — The United States Air Force awarded the McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base the KC-46A Pegasus, a multirole refueling tanker, on Sunday with an unveiling ceremony. "These new ...
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How Many KC-135 Stratotankers Are Left?

The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker remains one of the longest-serving military aircraft in history, a true workhorse that has supported USA operations around the globe for nearly seven decades. Since its ...