PRESS RELEASE

UNITED STATES AIR FORCE

92nd Air Refueling Wing (AMC) Office of Public Affairs 1 E. Bong St, Suite 213 Fairchild AFB, WA 99011-9588 Commercial DSN Homepage E-mail (509) 247-5705 Fax 247-2120 657-5705 http://www.fairchild.af.mil 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 703-6950640.

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