A KC-46A tanker from McConnell AFB completed a record round-the-globe sortie in 45 hours, a mission that saw multiple aerial refuelings — and a birthday.
The aircraft, carrying the serial number 14-3611 and using the callsign REACH 46, made the trans-Pacific flight after departing Boeing’s facilities in Seattle, Washington.
The Pegasus can now take on more missions the Air Force otherwise would have had to hand off to the KC-135 Stratotanker and KC-10 Extender, and lessen the burden on those older tankers.
Fairchild Air Force Base saw 20 aircraft in their KC-135 fleet conduct a Minimum Interval Take-Off as part of a proficiency and readiness exercise conducted by the 92nd Air Refueling Wing Sept. 29, 2021.
The U.S. Air Force is pivoting from orchestrating the massive exodus of over 124,000 Afghans and Americans from a country once again under Taliban rule, to a quieter role helping even more people leave on commercial and privately organized flights.