After much anticipation, it is official: Pease Air National Guard Base will be the first in the nation to receive the KC-46A, the latest generation of aerial refueling tankers.
The Air Force chose New Hampshire’s 157th Air Refueling Wing at Pease over 88 competitors back in May of last year. Now that an environmental impact study is complete, champions of NH’s 157th are celebrating. Senator Kelly Ayotte explains that "The 157th refueling unit has done a phenomenal job, but they are flying Eisenhower-era tankers. "
Now that Pease will have the KC-46A’s, Ayotte says, the base will be more indispensable to national military operations, and protected from any future Air Force Base closures.
The fleet of 12 aerial refueling tankers are due to arrive at Pease in the summer of 2018.