11 January 2017, 04:50 GMT
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — “[The bases] were chosen as the next two active-duty-led KC-46A bases because they meet all operational mission requirements at the best value for the Air Force and support our tanker recapitalization strategy," Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James stated in the release on Thursday.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein, according to the release, said that the KC-46 tankers will be critical to meeting US refuelling needs in the fight against the Islamic State (Daesh).
“In 2016, the [US-led] coalition flew over 13,600 tanker sorties, fueling aircraft nearly 80,000 times, delivering about 800-million pounds of fuel,” Godfein noted.
The KC-46 Pegasus is a wide-body, multirole tanker that can refuel all US, allied and coalition military aircraft compatible with international aerial refueling procedures, according to the Boeing website.
The Pegasus will replace the KC-135 air refuelling aircraft which first entered into service in 1957.
