KC-46A groundbreaking ceremony marks giant step forward for air refueling

Published June 30, 2014
By Airman 1st Class John Linzmeier
22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. -- A new era in Air Force air-refueling capabilities took a giant step forward June 30.

Shovels overturned the first piles of dirt during a groundbreaking ceremony for the new KC-46A Pegasus at McConnell Air Force Base. The ceremony symbolized significant progress in the KC-46A program and that construction in preparation for the Pegasus' arrival has officially started.

The construction includes a two-bay corrosion control and fuel cell hangar, a three-bay general maintenance hangar, a one-bay general maintenance hangar and an aircraft parking apron.

Gen. Darren McDew, Air Mobility Command commander; Brig. Gen. John Flournoy, Jr., 4th Air Force commander; Col. Joel Jackson, 22nd Air Refueling Wing commander, Col. Mark S. Larson, 931st Air Refueling Group commander, and other distinguished visitors had the honor of shoveling the first clumps of earth.

While the official party broke ground on the project, McDew acknowledged that the mission is really carried out by the McConnell community.

"Air Refueling is vital to rapid global mobility - the AMC Airmen that maintain, operate and support our tanker fleet put the "global" in global reach, vigilance and power. The KC-46A Pegasus will ensure we can continue to provide our nation with this amazing capability. The success of our global air mobility enterprise depends on strong leaders, and this ceremony is about the men and women of McConnell boldly forging the future of our air refueling operations," said McDew. "I have faith and trust they will exceed my expectations."

McConnell AFB will be the first active duty-led main operating base for the new KC-46A, which is part of a three phase effort to recapitalize the Air Force's tanker fleet. Jackson reflected on the current tanker's history.

"Since 1971, McConnell has been the Air Force's premier tanker base flying the venerable KC-135," said Jackson. "In 1995, we became one of three Air Force super tanker wings, and would eventually become the largest tanker base in the Air Force."

The establishment of McConnell as the first main operating base also means a new mission on the horizon for the Air Force Reserve 931st Air Refueling Group.

"It's exciting to know that our reservists will be some of the first Airmen to fly and maintain the KC-46," said Larson. "For the last 19 years, the 931st Air Refueling Group has worked side-by-side with our active-duty counterparts to achieve tremendous success in conducting KC-135 operations around the globe. As we move forward to the KC-46, I know our Total Force team will not only succeed, but excel in this new and exciting mission."

McConnell will be the first base to bed down the Pegasus, expected in 2016. It has a larger refueling capacity, improved efficiency and increased capabilities for cargo and aeromedical evacuation.

The new tanker will help to expand the Air Force's war fighting capabilities supporting the Navy, Army, Marine Corps as well as allied nation coalition forces and even other KC-46As.

Along with the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter and the Long Range Bomber, development of the KC-46A is amongst the Air Force's top three acquisition priorities.

While Air Force is preparing a new generation of tankers, McConnell's mission will stay the same - to deliver war-fighting capability today and tomorrow.

"Be it the past or the future, our mission success has, and will always, depend on the men and women of Team McConnell," said Jackson. "We are prepared and honored as a Total Force Team to forge the future of aerial refueling with the arrival of the KC-46A fleet."