The first two KC-46A refuelers will land in Israel by next year, as the Israel Air Force continues to carry out long-range missions against hostile threats.
They will replace the IAF’s fleet of Re’em Boeing 707 tankers, with the first two deliveries expected in 2026 and an additional two aircraft at a later date.
Israel ordered the aircraft from Boeing in a deal with the US government worth approximately $930 million that allows the IAF to purchase up to eight tankers to replace its Re’em (Boeing 707) tanker aircraft, many of which are over 60 years old.
The aircraft are strategic assets required for long-range missions to countries like Iran and Yemen, and they played a critical role in the 12-day war with Iran, carrying out hundreds of aerial refuelings over hostile territory.
Israel’s fleet of Re’em planes, the number of which remains confidential, is comprised of former civilian aircraft adapted for military uses, such as aerial refueling for fighter jets and its fleet of transport aircraft.
Able to carry 20 extra fuel tanks while modified for aerial refueling, the 707s are adapted to carry passengers as well as cargo, such as military equipment and ammunition from the United States.
New KC-46 tankers can refuel jets quickly
The new KC-46 tankers can refuel jets with 1,200 gallons of fuel per minute using their fly-by-wire 55-foot refueling boom. They can also have wing air refueling pods, allowing three jets to be refueled simultaneously within three to four minutes.
With a range of 11,830 km. and the capacity to unload approximately 207,000 pounds of fuel, the KC-46 can refuel over 64 different types of aircraft and would allow dozens of jets to remain airborne for up to 12 hours at a range of 11,000km.
All fuel tanks in the KC-46 family, which are purposely built for combat close to the battlefield, are fully inerted and are configured with ballistic armor. The plane also has infrared countermeasures, radiofrequency warnings, threat avoidance systems, and Night Vision Imaging System lighting, allowing the plane to land in complete darkness, giving the massive plane full covert capabilities.
Israel is also able to add homemade electronic warfare countermeasure systems.
The contract with Boeing for the KC-46A aircraft was signed in 2022, but the delivery has taken longer than expected due to delays, including structural flaws found in the aircraft.
And while the IAF continues to look at the option to replace the entire refueling fleet with the KC-46s, Israel Aerospace Industries says that it has the capability to provide Israel with refurbished aircraft that can replace the aging refuelers.
There is also a growing trend in Israel focused on Israeli domestic defense production, and Israeli defense industries have said that they are committed to leveraging domestic production in response to international restrictions on arms that Israel has recently faced, including by Washington under the Biden administration.