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The Boeing 767's rise as the United States Air Force’s primary tanker is one of the hardest-fought comebacks in modern aviation.
The KC-46A Pegasus reached 100 deliveries accepted by the USAF by December 2025.
KEY POINTS
- Boeing's original KC-767 deal collapsed after a 2004 procurement scandal, delaying the program by years.
- Boeing was initially defeated by Airbus in the KC-X competition, but a protest led to a contract reversal in 2011.
- The KC-46A introduces a 787-derived glass cockpit and dual boom/probe-drogue refueling, enhancing interoperability.
- USAF paused KC-46 deliveries in 2025 for quality concerns but resumed after addressing them.
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