Experts weigh in on reasons for Israel's acquiring of additional aircraft tankers

Israel relied on its aging fleet of converted Boeing 707 tankers and Lockheed Martin KC-130 Hercules aircraft during its 12-day air campaign against Iran in June. Experts argue that likely explains why the Israeli Ministry of Defense (MoD) recently revealed plans to acquire two additional Boeing KC-46 Pegasus aerial refueling aircraft, supplementing the four already on order and why adversaries should be alarmed.

Refuelling aircraft are vital for the Israeli Air Force (IAF) to conduct long-range missions, particularly strikes on Iran. As the National Interest publication notes in their recent article, Tehran is about 1,600 kilometers from Israel, meaning an IAF fighter jet would need to cover roughly 3,200 kilometers for a round trip—well beyond the range of most fighters without midair refuelling.

“This is a follow-on contract with the US government for procuring two advanced refuelling aircraft in addition to four previously purchased KC-46 aircraft,” the Israel MoD stated, as Israeli media cited.

“This will expand the [Israel Defence Force’s] new refuelling fleet to six aircraft. The new aircraft will be equipped with Israeli systems and adapted to the IAF’s operational requirements.”

The deal for the additional KC-46s is estimated at $500 million and will be financed through existing US military aid to Israel. Final approval is pending from Israel’s Defense Procurement Ministerial Committee.

As the article recalls, this purchase follows a 2020 agreement under which the US State Department authorized the sale of up to eight KC-46s to Israel. Boeing secured a $930 million contract in August 2022 for the first four aircraft, which are scheduled for delivery before the end of 2026.

During the June conflict, the IAF depended on its old 707-based “Re’em” tankers. While the exact number in service has not been disclosed, the article cites military analyst firm Janes, which using open-source satellite images of Nevatim Air Base from December reported that five remain operational. Some of these aircraft are over 50 years old and nearing the end of their operational lives.

The National Interest notes that reports have circulated that the US Air Force supported Israel’s “Operation Rising Lion” strikes by deploying dozens of refuelling aircraft to the region, though Washington has denied direct involvement. Nevertheless, the US does provide billions in annual aid to Israel, much of which goes toward acquiring American-made military hardware, including fighter jets and support aircraft.

The KC-46 Pegasus is primarily operated by the US Air Force, which has nearly 100 in service. Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force also operates four Pegasus tankers and is set to receive two more in the near future.

The KC-46 program began after Boeing won the US Air Force’s KC-X competition in early 2011, securing a contract to replace the aging KC-135 fleet. The first Pegasus was delivered in January 2019. In November, Boeing received a Lot 11 contract worth $2.38 billion to produce 15 additional multi-role aircraft for the Air Force.

The KC-46A can refuel nearly all fixed-wing aircraft equipped for aerial refuelling. It also supports passenger transport, aeromedical evacuation, and cargo missions. To date, the Pegasus has logged over 100,000 flight hours and offloaded more than 200 million pounds of fuel.

However, the aircraft has faced issues. Deliveries were halted in February after cracks were found in the “outboard fixed trailing-edge support structure.” Though the defect was first identified in 2018, it was only addressed this year. Boeing announced in May that it had determined the root cause and initiated corrective measures to resume deliveries.

By Nazrin Sadigova