U.S. Air Force Establishes First KC-46A Pegasus Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron

The U.S. Air Force announced the establishment of the first KC-46A Pegasus Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron in the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility (AOR). Although the news was released on Oct. 31, 2024, the aircraft deployed to the region in early October, when the 305th EARS was stood up.

According to the photos released on the DVIDS network, the KC-46s arrived at an unspecified airfield in the CENTCOM AOR on Oct. 5. It’s worth noting that the first images released mention the new unit’s name as 91st Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, instead of 305th EARS.

However, it must be noted that this is not the first time the KC-46 has operated in the region. In fact, the Pegasus already conducted operations there during Air Mobility Command’s multi-week Employment Concept Exercise 22-08 at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, in 2022.

This time, the KC-46 is set to become an enduring presence in the area, as the 305th EARS will see a regular rotation of tankers in the Middle East. The Pegasus flew the first operational mission under the EARS on Oct. 8, although the first operational mission ever was during the 2022 deployment.

“While the KC-46A has operated in CENTCOM previously, this deployment is building the foundation for sustained KC-46A expeditionary operations,” said Maj. Andrew Doenitz, 305th EARS commander. “It’s been a team effort across the enterprise to prepare for the KC-46A Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron stand-up, and I’m proud of our Airmen for playing a role in this historic achievement.”

The deployment

The 305th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron was stood up with aircraft and personnel from the 305th Air Mobility Wing and 87th Air Base Wing, supported by several agencies across Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. According to the press release, the unit was given only a 72-hour notice to generate forces and deploy a contingency force, with all the parties involved working to get the entire Mission Generation Force Element (MGFE) trained, equipped and prepared to deploy.

The reason for the short notice could be the mention that another unit, the 133rd Air Refueling Squadron from Pease Air National Guard Base, New Hampshire, was originally scheduled to establish the KC-46A EARS. However, emerging requirements within the AOR pushed the tasking to the 305th AMW, which exploited the 133rd’s preparations already in place to get the KC-46A into theater quickly.

“We’re all so thrilled to be a part of this historical event and bring the KC-46A into CENTCOM,” said Maj. Brian McGovern, 305th EARS director of operations. “Its presence is a tremendous force multiplier, strengthening our resolve to stabilize this region, and deter further escalation.”

The unit deployed as a KC-46A MGFE, bringing additional capabilities to the region, including expanded connectivity, increased fuel capacity and always-equipped onboard aeromedical evacuation equipment, said the press release. The expanded connectivity could refer to the new line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight communications technologies with antijamming and encryption features which are being fielded.

In fact, as part of the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) effort, the Air Force developed technologies to have the KC-46A serve also as a data link for combat forces, especially in large theaters. The technology is reportedly known as the Airborne Edge Node (AEN) concept and is part of the Capability Release 1 (CR1) of ABMS, and allows to get fused data and communication, reducing time lags for processing information and sending it to front-line forces.

The aircraft arrived in theater with a Deployable Air Refueling Support Hub (DASH) kit, which contains every mission planning cell component necessary to globally employ the KC-46. This kit ensured the crews were ready to commence air tasking orders within 48 hours of arrival, said the Air Force.

“The tankers that call McGuire home have long held the responsibility of being America’s emergency responders, which is something we do not take lightly,” said Capt. Oze Navat, 305th EARS KC-46A instructor pilot. “Bringing the KC-46 to CENTCOM for sustained operations is the natural progression of this responsibility and it is extremely exciting to be a part of the team that gets to bring it to light, in a showcase of its strength and capabilities. The message is clear, we are here and we are dedicated to executing the mission.”

The KC-46

The 305th EARS, with their KC-46A aircraft, will now contribute vital air refueling capabilities to U.S. and coalition forces throughout the region, extending the Air Force’s global reach and reinforcing the U.S.’s commitment to stand alongside coalition partners, said the service. The milestone marks the beginning of an enduring contribution of the KC-46 to the Air Force’s operations abroad.

While the KC-46A Pegasus is gradually taking over more missions to lessen the load on KC-135’s units, it still has many issues. As of Jan. 2024, the KC-46 has six category 1 deficiencies, which could cause loss of an aircraft, injury, or death, according to the Air Force classification. Work is ongoing to fix them once for all.

The first, possibly the most important, is related to the cameras which replaced the boom operator’s window. There are two groups of cameras: the Remote Vision System (RVS), which focuses on the boom, and a second group which provides a panoramic view to the rear of the tanker. Both systems struggle under certain environmental conditions and Boeing is working on an RVS 2.0, expected in late 2025.

Another problem is related to the boom, and specifically an actuator inside the boom which prevents the A-10C to be refueled. In fact, the A-10 can’t generate enough force to stay connected to the boom due to its low speed, so the hydraulic actuator provides that force to keep the boom rod in the receptacle. A new actuator is expected by 2026.

Then, there are product quality issues, which involve three separate parts of the aircraft: drain masts for its auxiliary power unit (APU), a seal for its fuel manifold and a drain line that runs near the cockpit. Specifically, the APU’s drain masts showed a tendency to crack, solved with additional reinforcements.

The fuel manifold, which runs 555 feet throughout the plane, is fitted with flex couplings throughout so that it can bend in flight. Incorrect positioning of the coupling’s seals enabled fuel to seep out of the inner tube into the outer one, so Boeing implemented a new flex seal.

The last one was related to the AAR receptacle on top of the cockpit, specifically the receptacle drain line, which empties liquid out but is at risk of cracking and could cause fuel to leak into the cockpit. A fix has been found and should be implemented by next year.

Adding to this, there is another problem with a key feature, the Wing Aerial Refueling Pods. The WARPs, mounted on the aircraft’s wings, are designed to refuel two aircraft simultaneously, however the Director of Operational Test & Evaluation’s 2023 annual report mentioned the pods did not yet enter Initial Operational Test & Evaluation (IOT&E) because they didn’t achieve the FAA supplemental-type certification.

Specifically, the WARPs did not meet certification requirements for cowling bird strike, lightning tolerance, and wiring corrosion protection. The Air Force stated that certification is ongoing and IOT&E should start this year.