PRESS RELEASE U N I T E D S T A T E S A I R F O R C E

92nd Air Refueling Wing (AMC) Commercial (509) 247-5705 Fax 247-2120 Office of Public Affairs DSN 657-5705 1 E. Bong St, Suite 213 Homepage http://www.fairchild.af.mil Fairchild AFB, WA 99011-9588 E-mail 92arw.pa@fairchild.af.mil

Apr. 23, 2014

Altus, McConnell selected to receive KC-46A FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. Air Force officials announced April 23 that McConnell Air Force

Base, Kan., is the first active duty-led main operating base for the KC-46A Pegasus and Altus AFB, Okla.,

is the Air Forces KC-46A formal training unit.

This final selection announcement follows the completion of the environmental analysis required

by the National Environmental Protection Act to provide further information concerning the basing

process. McConnell AFB was identified as the preferred alternative for the main operating base in May

2013, while Fairchild AFB was identified as an alternative.

Fairchild will continue to operate and execute the refueling mission with our current tanker fleet,

said Col. Brian Newberry, 92nd Air Refueling commander. We will stay prepared to implement the

capabilities of the Air Forces top acquisition priority during the next rounds of strategic basing of this

recapitalization program.

According to an Air Force release April 23, Air Force officials analyzed operational

considerations, installation attributes, economic and environmental factors for each location before

making a final basing decision.

Officials said McConnell was selected as the first main operating base for the KC-46A Pegasus

because it has the lowest military construction costs and is located in a region of high air refueling

receiver demand. McConnell AFB already has 44 KC-135 refueling aircraft assigned; replacing those

aircraft with 36 KC-46A aircraft will require the lowest manpower adjustments of the candidate

installations. Fairchild currently has 35 KC-135 aircraft.

Subsequent KC-46 decisions will use similar criteria.

In Jan 2013, Fairchild AFB was announced as a final candidate to be the main operating base

along with McConnell AFB, Altus, Okla., and Grand Forks AFB, N.D. A public scoping meeting to solicit

comments on the KC-46A associated infrastructure and manpower at Fairchild was held April 2013, and a

public hearing regarding the Draft Environmental Impact Statement was held November 2013.

The formal training unit and first main operating base will begin receiving aircraft in fiscal year

2016. A final basing decision for the first Air National Guard main operating base is expected in summer

2014, with the first aircraft scheduled to arrive in fiscal year 2018.

The KC-46A will provide improved capability, including boom and drogue refueling on the same

sortie, world-wide navigation and communication, airlift capability on the entire main deck floor, receiver

air refueling, improved force protection and survivability, and multi-point air refueling capability.

For more information, please contact Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs office at 703-695-

0640.

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