WASHINGTON - U.S. Air Force officials announced Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, as the Air Force's KC-46A Pegasus formal training unit and McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, as the first active duty-led Pegasus main operating base.
Both Altus and McConnell were selected as preferred alternatives in May 2013. The Air Force recently completed the environmental analysis required by the National Environmental Protection Act to provide further information concerning the basing process. Air Force officials analyzed operational considerations, installation attributes, economic, and environmental factors for each location before making a final basing decision.
Altus was selected as the formal training unit for the KC-46A because it provides great training opportunities. There is significant benefit of collocating KC-46A trainers with both tanker and heavy receiver aircraft for training purposes. Altus AFB also has better infrastructure capacity and requires considerably less new construction.
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.
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.
With the selection of McConnell AFB, the special operations air refueling training mission will remain close to its primary customers in the Southeast. McConnell is also an ideal central location for the new KC-46A Regional Maintenance Training Center.
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